What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Below is the pics direct statement as to the facts.
Mid-morning on Tuesday 19 apr 22, I took N182FR up VFR from kasd (base) for a leisurely solo-flight around the local area, retracting the landing-gear upon takeoff after useable runway as usual. After appx 20 uneventful minutes, pilot proceeded to return to kasd for a full-stop landing, deploying the gear at appx 110MPH in-pattern as usual (vle being 147MPH), but the nosewheel did not indicate a lock by final-leg so pilot performed a go-around.
Returning to altitude pilot made numerous & various attempts to achieve a lock, including eventually the published emergency procedures, to no avail. A low-pass visual inspection by persons at the airport confirmed the nosegear was indeed flaccid. Over an hour into this, procedures exhausted with little hope of an indicated lock, having been in radio-communication with kasd airport manager privacy data omitted, pilot coordinated a precautionary deployment of emergency personnel at the field.
With that in place, I performed a runway landing, including shutting down the fuel-mixture/engine prior to touchdown in order to protect it as able. With the nosewheel gear indeed failing, pilot maintained control of the aircraft on centerline and inflicted no apparent damage to the airport. Upon full-stop, pilot quickly exited the aircraft (uninjured) in case of risk.
In addition to local emergency units, an aircraft recovery team (tow-wagon) happened to be at the airport and once everything was secure they expeditiously assisted in clearing the runway so normal operations could proceed.
As the FAA filed it
BELOW IS THE PICS DIRECT STATEMENT AS TO THE FACTS.
MID-MORNING ON TUESDAY 19 APR 22, I TOOK N182FR UP VFR FROM KASD (BASE) FOR A LEISURELY SOLO-FLIGHT AROUND THE LOCAL AREA, RETRACTING THE LANDING-GEAR UPON TAKEOFF AFTER USEABLE RUNWAY AS USUAL. AFTER APPX 20 UNEVENTFUL MINUTES, PILOT PROCEEDED TO RETURN TO KASD FOR A FULL-STOP LANDING, DEPLOYING THE GEAR AT APPX 110MPH IN-PATTERN AS USUAL (VLE BEING 147MPH), BUT THE NOSEWHEEL DID NOT INDICATE A LOCK BY FINAL-LEG SO PILOT PERFORMED A GO-AROUND.
RETURNING TO ALTITUDE PILOT MADE NUMEROUS & VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO ACHIEVE A LOCK, INCLUDING EVENTUALLY THE PUBLISHED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, TO NO AVAIL. A LOW-PASS VISUAL INSPECTION BY PERSONS AT THE AIRPORT CONFIRMED THE NOSEGEAR WAS INDEED FLACCID. OVER AN HOUR INTO THIS, PROCEDURES EXHAUSTED WITH LITTLE HOPE OF AN INDICATED LOCK, HAVING BEEN IN RADIO-COMMUNICATION WITH KASD AIRPORT MANAGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, PILOT COORDINATED A PRECAUTIONARY DEPLOYMENT OF EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AT THE FIELD.
WITH THAT IN PLACE, I PERFORMED A RUNWAY LANDING, INCLUDING SHUTTING DOWN THE FUEL-MIXTURE/ENGINE PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN IN ORDER TO PROTECT IT AS ABLE. WITH THE NOSEWHEEL GEAR INDEED FAILING, PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT ON CENTERLINE AND INFLICTED NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE AIRPORT. UPON FULL-STOP, PILOT QUICKLY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT (UNINJURED) IN CASE OF RISK.
IN ADDITION TO LOCAL EMERGENCY UNITS, AN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY TEAM (TOW-WAGON) HAPPENED TO BE AT THE AIRPORT AND ONCE EVERYTHING WAS SECURE THEY EXPEDITIOUSLY ASSISTED IN CLEARING THE RUNWAY SO NORMAL OPERATIONS COULD PROCEED.
Other reports on N182FR · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.