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20230313003769I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-23 · Madison, SD · March 13, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 13, 2023 · 19:00 local
Place
Madison, SD
Airport
Madison Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2172P
Reported as
Piper PA-23
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N2172PRegistered now · Piper PA-23S/N 23-778 · Built 1956Airframe modelPiper PA-23Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was returning to the traffic pattern at kmds. While in down wind the before landing check was completed, during the check the pilots noticed they had 2 green landing gear lights illuminated but not the nose gear. The pilots verified the nose gear was not down and locked via the mirror. The pilots cycled the switch multiple times to attempt to correct the issue. The issue didn't resolve. The pilots then iaw the POH attempted to pump the gear down and up without any change to position of the nose gear. The pilots attempted to pump the gear multiple times. The pilots then utilized the CO2 bottle to extend the gear to the lock position but that was also ineffective. After exhausting all resources to extend the gear, the pilots conducted multiple low passes over the runway to verify main gear was down. The pilots then requested that ARFF get set into place prior to landing. The pilots conducted the approach and landing. Prior to landing during the round out the pilots pulled mixtures, magnetos off, master off to ensure no power was applied to the props. After touch down of the mains the pilot kept the nose up until full aft yoke was applied and the nose began to sink where it finally made contact with the runway and slid to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNING TO THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT KMDS. WHILE IN DOWN WIND THE BEFORE LANDING CHECK WAS COMPLETED, DURING THE CHECK THE PILOTS NOTICED THEY HAD 2 GREEN LANDING GEAR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BUT NOT THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOTS VERIFIED THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND LOCKED VIA THE MIRROR. THE PILOTS CYCLED THE SWITCH MULTIPLE TIMES TO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE DIDN'T RESOLVE. THE PILOTS THEN IAW THE POH ATTEMPTED TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN AND UP WITHOUT ANY CHANGE TO POSITION OF THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO PUMP THE GEAR MULTIPLE TIMES. THE PILOTS THEN UTILIZED THE CO2 BOTTLE TO EXTEND THE GEAR TO THE LOCK POSITION BUT THAT WAS ALSO INEFFECTIVE. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL RESOURCES TO EXTEND THE GEAR, THE PILOTS CONDUCTED MULTIPLE LOW PASSES OVER THE RUNWAY TO VERIFY MAIN GEAR WAS DOWN. THE PILOTS THEN REQUESTED THAT ARFF GET SET INTO PLACE PRIOR TO LANDING. THE PILOTS CONDUCTED THE APPROACH AND LANDING. PRIOR TO LANDING DURING THE ROUND OUT THE PILOTS PULLED MIXTURES, MAGNETOS OFF, MASTER OFF TO ENSURE NO POWER WAS APPLIED TO THE PROPS. AFTER TOUCH DOWN OF THE MAINS THE PILOT KEPT THE NOSE UP UNTIL FULL AFT YOKE WAS APPLIED AND THE NOSE BEGAN TO SINK WHERE IT FINALLY MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND SLID TO A STOP.