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20231116018999I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 177RG · Flagstaff, AZ · November 16, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 16, 2023 · 16:21 local
Place
Flagstaff, AZ
Airport
Flagstaff Pulliam
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2007Q
Reported as
Cessna 177RG
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
19,355 total
N2007QRegistered now · Cessna 177RGS/N 177RG0407Airframe modelCessna 177RGEngine modelLycoming IO-360-A1B6DReciprocating

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.

An annual inspection of the event aircraft was completed on 10/17/2023. The event aircraft was purchased by its current privacy data omitted on 11/15/2023. The new privacy data omittedinsurance required the new privacy data omittedto obtain 10 hours in the aircraft with a CFI prior to any solo flying. The event flight was the second flight with the new privacy data omitted and a CFI. The flight departed from Flagstaff, AZ and once established in cruise configuration, it was decided to practice the emergency gear extension procedure. The aircraft was slowed to 90KTS, the landing gear circuit breaker was de-energized, the landing gear handle was moved to the down position and the privacy data omitted began to manually pump the gear down. During the emergency gear extension, it was observed that the main gear was extending but the nose gear was not. The landing gear circuit breaker was re-energized, and the gear handle was moved to the up position. The main gear retracted. A normal gear extension was attempted but again, only the main gear extended. This was repeated several times. The CFI performed several maneuvers to dislodge the nose gear and get it to extend, all attempts were unsuccessful. A fly-by of the Flagstaff tower confirmed that the nose gear was not extended. The tower was informed that the aircraft would be landing without nose gear and the event aircraft received clearance from the tower to do so. The CFI performed a soft field landing, the privacy data omitted moved the fuel selector to the off position, turned off the magnetos and then the master. The soft field landing was performed successfully with the nose held off the runway as long as possible and with minimal damage to the aircraft. There were no injuries and no fuel leaks. The aircraft was recovered by local maintenance provider. The event aircraft had accumulated 8.37 hours of time in service between the annual inspection in October and the event in November. Maintenance personnel determined that the uplock roller would not disengage the nose gear hook with the gear in the extended position. This was causing the nose gear to remain locked in the up position.

As the FAA filed it

AN ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE EVENT AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETED ON 10/17/2023. THE EVENT AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED BY ITS CURRENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 11/15/2023. THE NEW ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^INSURANCE REQUIRED THE NEW ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^TO OBTAIN 10 HOURS IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH A CFI PRIOR TO ANY SOLO FLYING. THE EVENT FLIGHT WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT WITH THE NEW ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND A CFI. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM FLAGSTAFF, AZ AND ONCE ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE CONFIGURATION, IT WAS DECIDED TO PRACTICE THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWED TO 90KTS, THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS DE-ENERGIZED, THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS MOVED TO THE DOWN POSITION AND THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN TO MANUALLY PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. DURING THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE MAIN GEAR WAS EXTENDING BUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT. THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS RE-ENERGIZED, AND THE GEAR HANDLE WAS MOVED TO THE UP POSITION. THE MAIN GEAR RETRACTED. A NORMAL GEAR EXTENSION WAS ATTEMPTED BUT AGAIN, ONLY THE MAIN GEAR EXTENDED. THIS WAS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES. THE CFI PERFORMED SEVERAL MANEUVERS TO DISLODGE THE NOSE GEAR AND GET IT TO EXTEND, ALL ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. A FLY-BY OF THE FLAGSTAFF TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE TOWER WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD BE LANDING WITHOUT NOSE GEAR AND THE EVENT AIRCRAFT RECEIVED CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER TO DO SO. THE CFI PERFORMED A SOFT FIELD LANDING, THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION, TURNED OFF THE MAGNETOS AND THEN THE MASTER. THE SOFT FIELD LANDING WAS PERFORMED SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE NOSE HELD OFF THE RUNWAY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE AND WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO FUEL LEAKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY LOCAL MAINTENANCE PROVIDER. THE EVENT AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED 8.37 HOURS OF TIME IN SERVICE BETWEEN THE ANNUAL INSPECTION IN OCTOBER AND THE EVENT IN NOVEMBER. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THE UPLOCK ROLLER WOULD NOT DISENGAGE THE NOSE GEAR HOOK WITH THE GEAR IN THE EXTENDED POSITION. THIS WAS CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO REMAIN LOCKED IN THE UP POSITION.