What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot departed Auburn airport (S50) at approximately 12:17PM PDT on 4/11/2024. Pilot proceeded to the flight practice area southeast of the Auburn airport.
Pilot attempted to lower landing gear, the gear malfunctioned, and the green light failed to illuminate. Pilot heard the landing gear pump continuously running after the gear visually appeared to be down. Pilot observed all 3 tires using the left and right gear observation mirrors mounted on the wings, and the gear/tires appeared to be in the lowered position, however the green gear down light failed to illuminate.
Pilot raised the landing gear handle to retract the landing gear, the light illuminated normally to indicate the gear was raised.
Pilot made several attempts to re-cycle (raise/lower) the landing gear. Each attempt resulted in the same malfunction, and none of the attempts resulted in a green gear down indicator light. Following each attempt to lower the gear, the gear pump motor continued to run.
Pilot attempted to perform a manual gear extension using the landing gear failure checklist, however the hand pump failed to achieve normal resistance and the resistance never became heavy despite operating the pump handle at least 300 times.
Pilot made additional attempts to perform a manual gear extension and each attempt failed to yield a green down/locked light.
Pilot used cell phone to call mechanic, and to request mechanic stand by the runway to observe the landing gear during a low approach.
Pilot performed additional attempts to re-cycle and lower the landing gear at varying airspeeds, vertical speeds, and bank angles, however none of the attempts to lower the gear resulted in a green light. Pilot performed a manual gear extension using the emergency checklist.
Pilot flew a left pattern, landing approach and go around, then departed the traffic pattern and called the mechanic. The mechanic indicated the landing gear appeared to be down. Pilot also observed gear using mirrors and gear appeared to be down. Pilot asked the mechanic to call a fire truck as a precaution.
Someone radioed that the fire department had been called. Pilot radioed to advise he would be returning to the airport to land on runway 34. Pilot continued to manually pump the emergency hand pump, however no substantial resistance was ever felt.
Pilot entered a left pattern for runway 34 and performed a normal approach using 30 degrees of flaps. Pilot experienced a left crosswind during final approach and landing.
Shortly after touchdown pilot heard a loud noise and the landing gear partially collapsed. The aircraft fell and banked toward the right. The right wing dropped to the runway and the aircraft pulled toward the right.
The aircraft continued sliding and skidding down the runway, then departed the runway into the grass on the right side. The right wingtip impacted an airport sign near taxiway A3 and the aircraft stopped in the grass just past the hold-short line near taxiway A3, which is located a short distance south of mid-field and near the transient ramp signs.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT DEPARTED AUBURN AIRPORT (S50) AT APPROXIMATELY 12:17PM PDT ON 4/11/2024. PILOT PROCEEDED TO THE FLIGHT PRACTICE AREA SOUTHEAST OF THE AUBURN AIRPORT.
PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER LANDING GEAR, THE GEAR MALFUNCTIONED, AND THE GREEN LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. PILOT HEARD THE LANDING GEAR PUMP CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING AFTER THE GEAR VISUALLY APPEARED TO BE DOWN. PILOT OBSERVED ALL 3 TIRES USING THE LEFT AND RIGHT GEAR OBSERVATION MIRRORS MOUNTED ON THE WINGS, AND THE GEAR/TIRES APPEARED TO BE IN THE LOWERED POSITION, HOWEVER THE GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE.
PILOT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR, THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED NORMALLY TO INDICATE THE GEAR WAS RAISED.
PILOT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RE-CYCLE (RAISE/LOWER) THE LANDING GEAR. EACH ATTEMPT RESULTED IN THE SAME MALFUNCTION, AND NONE OF THE ATTEMPTS RESULTED IN A GREEN GEAR DOWN INDICATOR LIGHT. FOLLOWING EACH ATTEMPT TO LOWER THE GEAR, THE GEAR PUMP MOTOR CONTINUED TO RUN.
PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION USING THE LANDING GEAR FAILURE CHECKLIST, HOWEVER THE HAND PUMP FAILED TO ACHIEVE NORMAL RESISTANCE AND THE RESISTANCE NEVER BECAME HEAVY DESPITE OPERATING THE PUMP HANDLE AT LEAST 300 TIMES.
PILOT MADE ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS TO PERFORM A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION AND EACH ATTEMPT FAILED TO YIELD A GREEN DOWN/LOCKED LIGHT.
PILOT USED CELL PHONE TO CALL MECHANIC, AND TO REQUEST MECHANIC STAND BY THE RUNWAY TO OBSERVE THE LANDING GEAR DURING A LOW APPROACH.
PILOT PERFORMED ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS TO RE-CYCLE AND LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AT VARYING AIRSPEEDS, VERTICAL SPEEDS, AND BANK ANGLES, HOWEVER NONE OF THE ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE GEAR RESULTED IN A GREEN LIGHT. PILOT PERFORMED A MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION USING THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST.
PILOT FLEW A LEFT PATTERN, LANDING APPROACH AND GO AROUND, THEN DEPARTED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND CALLED THE MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC INDICATED THE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. PILOT ALSO OBSERVED GEAR USING MIRRORS AND GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. PILOT ASKED THE MECHANIC TO CALL A FIRE TRUCK AS A PRECAUTION.
SOMEONE RADIOED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CALLED. PILOT RADIOED TO ADVISE HE WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 34. PILOT CONTINUED TO MANUALLY PUMP THE EMERGENCY HAND PUMP, HOWEVER NO SUBSTANTIAL RESISTANCE WAS EVER FELT.
PILOT ENTERED A LEFT PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 34 AND PERFORMED A NORMAL APPROACH USING 30 DEGREES OF FLAPS. PILOT EXPERIENCED A LEFT CROSSWIND DURING FINAL APPROACH AND LANDING.
SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT FELL AND BANKED TOWARD THE RIGHT. THE RIGHT WING DROPPED TO THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT PULLED TOWARD THE RIGHT.
THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SLIDING AND SKIDDING DOWN THE RUNWAY, THEN DEPARTED THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE RIGHT WINGTIP IMPACTED AN AIRPORT SIGN NEAR TAXIWAY A3 AND THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED IN THE GRASS JUST PAST THE HOLD-SHORT LINE NEAR TAXIWAY A3, WHICH IS LOCATED A SHORT DISTANCE SOUTH OF MID-FIELD AND NEAR THE TRANSIENT RAMP SIGNS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.