What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The purpose of the flight was to conduct a flight review for the pilot rated passenger. They departed Washington county airport (8WC) and made an uneventful flight to Farmington Regional Airport (fam) to conduct landing practice. The PIC stated he felt the landing gear drop when the gear was lowered but he did not get a gear safe indication. He cycled the landing gear three or four times but the gear safe light continued to flicker and did not indicate a down and safe condition. He made a radio call on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) but there was no one monitoring that could offer assistance. He elected to land the aircraft as gentle as possible to ensure there was no undue pressure on the landing gear. The pilot felt the tires touch the runway and the landing gear collapsed a few seconds later. He landed with minimal ground speed since the aircraft only slid four center lines along the runway. The PIC then ordered the emergency shutdown and exited the aircraft.
The mechanic that removed the aircraft from the runway stated the landing gear did not indicate a down and locked condition when he lifted the aircraft from the runway. The down light was not illuminted when the landing gear was lowered. He secured metal bars to the over centering links to ensure the landing gear remained down as he towed the aircraft from the runway.
As the FAA filed it
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO CONDUCT A FLIGHT REVIEW FOR THE PILOT RATED PASSENGER. THEY DEPARTED WASHINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT (8WC) AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT TO FARMINGTON REGIONAL AIRPORT (FAM) TO CONDUCT LANDING PRACTICE. THE PIC STATED HE FELT THE LANDING GEAR DROP WHEN THE GEAR WAS LOWERED BUT HE DID NOT GET A GEAR SAFE INDICATION. HE CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR THREE OR FOUR TIMES BUT THE GEAR SAFE LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLICKER AND DID NOT INDICATE A DOWN AND SAFE CONDITION. HE MADE A RADIO CALL ON THE COMMON TRAFFIC ADVISORY FREQUENCY (CTAF) BUT THERE WAS NO ONE MONITORING THAT COULD OFFER ASSISTANCE. HE ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AS GENTLE AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THERE WAS NO UNDUE PRESSURE ON THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT FELT THE TIRES TOUCH THE RUNWAY AND THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED A FEW SECONDS LATER. HE LANDED WITH MINIMAL GROUND SPEED SINCE THE AIRCRAFT ONLY SLID FOUR CENTER LINES ALONG THE RUNWAY. THE PIC THEN ORDERED THE EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE MECHANIC THAT REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY STATED THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT INDICATE A DOWN AND LOCKED CONDITION WHEN HE LIFTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY. THE DOWN LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINTED WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED. HE SECURED METAL BARS TO THE OVER CENTERING LINKS TO ENSURE THE LANDING GEAR REMAINED DOWN AS HE TOWED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.