20240828014399I

PILOTS STATEMENT:DEPARTED APF WITH INTENDED DESTINATION AIRPORT HPY (BAYTOWN, TX)

I DEPARTED APF AT 9:15 EST. I BRIEFED WITH FLTPLAN.COM AND DUE TO FORECAST WEATHER

OVER THE GULF COAST, I RECEIVED A SECONDARY BRIEF FROM FLIGHT SERVICE. IT WAS A FAR PART

91 FLIGHT. MYSELF, SINGLE PILOT AND 2 PAX. ON DEPARTURE ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WERE FULLY

FUNCTIONAL. THE FLIGHT TO THE HOUSTON AREA WAS UNEVENTFUL AND ROUTINE. I FILED FOR FL

260 FOR BEST WIND AND FUEL BURN.

WITHIN A FEW MILES OF HPY, AND WITH THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT I CANCELED IFR AND SET UP FOR A

VISUAL APPROACH TO RW 32. ON A 3 MILE FINAL AND 1,000’ I PUT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE

DOWN. THE GEAR HANDLE STAYED RED AND THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS DID NOT ALUMINATE. I

IMMEDIATELY BROKE OFF THE APPROACH AND CLIMBED BACK UP TO 1,000’.

I ENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT, CLEARED THE AREA AND ALLOWED A FEW MINUTES TO PASS, PER GEAR

PROCEDURE (THE HYDRAULIC PUMP REQUIRES A COOLING PERIOD BETWEEN CYCLES) AND I

RECYCLED THE GEAR. THE GEAR STILL DID NOT SHOW 3 GREEN, IT SHOWED NO GREEN ON ANY OF

THE 3 LANDING GEAR AND THE GEAR HANDLE REMAINED RED.

AFTER A FEW MORE MINUTES PASSED I CYCLED THE GEAR A 3RD TIME. THE RESULTS WERE THE

SAME NO GREEN GEAR LIGHTS. I OPENED THE FLIGHT MANUAL AND REMOVED THE EMERGENCY

GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST. I SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO 120 KNOTS. PER THE CHECKLIST AND

EXECUTED THE PROCEDURE FOR THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES DID

NOT CHANGE. PLEASE NOTE, THE BLOWDOWN BOTTLE PRESSURE FELL FROM 1150 TO 800 PSI. IT

DID NOT GO TO ZERO AS EXPECTED.

I CONTACTED HOUSTON ON 134.45 WHERE I DECLARED AND EMERGENCY AND CHOOSE TO DIVERT

TO CXO AS THEY HAD A CRASH CREW AND A LONG RUNWAY. SINCE I HAD NO GEAR INDICATION I

DID A FLYBY TO GET A BETTER IDEA WHAT I WAS DEALING WITH FROM THE CXO TOWER FOLKS. IT

WAS DETERMINED THE NOSE GEAR WAS PARTIALLY DOWN AND THE MAINS WERE DOWN BUT NOT

NECESSARILY LOCKED.

AT THIS POINT I HAD 1300 POUNDS OF FUEL REMAINING. I SET UP ON A LONG FINAL. REVIEWED

ALL THE CHECKLIST PROCEDURES. I CHOSE TO LAND WITH FULL FLAPS. ON FINAL AT 100’ I PUT BOTH

ENGINES INTO CUTOFF, SHUT OFF THE FIREWALL SHUTOFF TO BOTH ENGINES AND FEATHERED BOTH

PROPS. I TOUCHED DOWN DEAD STICK.

THE LEFT MAIN GEAR HELD, DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT THE OTHER 2 FAILED ON TOUCH DOWN AT

APPROXIMATELY 12:30 EST.

INSPECTOR OBSERVATION: AT THE INCIDENT SITE HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS OBSERVED ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT FLOWING AFT TOWARD THE TAIL. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS RIGHTED ON ALL THREE-LANDING GEAR, HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS OBSERVED ON THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR AND HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS OBSERVED TRAILING BACK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE NOSE WHEEL DOORS.

WITNESS STATEMENT: HE OBSERVED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLY OVER THE RUNWAY AND SAW BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN, BUT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE STOWED IN THE FLIGHT CONFIGURATION.

AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS RIGHTED ON ALL THREE-LANDING GEAR, THE INSPECTOR OBSERVED HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE NOSE WHEEL COMPARTMENT ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE END OF THE EMPENNAGE.

THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.