20240717008369I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-42-720 · Springfield, IL · July 17, 2024

Date
July 17, 2024 · 14:55 local
Place
Springfield, IL
Airport
Abraham Lincoln Capital
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N444CY
Reported as
Piper PA-42-720
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-61
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

The aircraft was enroute fron klot to kspi. When the pilot put the gear lever in the down position, a 'pop' was heard and the NLG was not in the down and locked position. The pilot started the emergency gear checklist and followed through it 3 times. The NLG remained at a 45 degree angle and would not retract or extend. The pilot performed a fly-by of the control tower to confirm the gear was not down. The pilot shut down both engines, feathered the propellers, and shut off electrical before landing. As soon as the NLG touched down, it collapsed and the aircraft slid down runway 31. Upon inspection of the aircraft after the incident, a bolt was missing from the NLG actuator that connected it to the NLG assembly.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FRON KLOT TO KSPI. WHEN THE PILOT PUT THE GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION, A 'POP' WAS HEARD AND THE NLG WAS NOT IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT STARTED THE EMERGENCY GEAR CHECKLIST AND FOLLOWED THROUGH IT 3 TIMES. THE NLG REMAINED AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE AND WOULD NOT RETRACT OR EXTEND. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FLY-BY OF THE CONTROL TOWER TO CONFIRM THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES, FEATHERED THE PROPELLERS, AND SHUT OFF ELECTRICAL BEFORE LANDING. AS SOON AS THE NLG TOUCHED DOWN, IT COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN RUNWAY 31. UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE INCIDENT, A BOLT WAS MISSING FROM THE NLG ACTUATOR THAT CONNECTED IT TO THE NLG ASSEMBLY.