What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 9, 2024 at approximately 1130 EST, a 2006 Piper PA-44-180 departed lakeland-linder international airport (lal) for Melbourne-Orlando international airport (mlb). This was a solo flight for flight school business/non-instruction. On climb-out from lal and shortly after retracting the landing gear, the pilot heard a popping sound and noted the landing gear warning light illuminated a few minutes later. The pilot initiated troubleshooting procedures and was unable to get the nose landing gear to extend. Attempts for emergency gear extension were unsuccessful. The pilot contacted mlb tower and alerted them of the gear issue and was cleared for a low pass to obtain visual confirmation of the landing gear position. ATC confirmed that the main landing gear were extended but the nose landing gear was retracted. The pilot declared an emergency and was cleared for an emergency landing on runway 9L. The pilot feathered the propellers on the left and right engine and executed a soft-field landing. At approximately 1230 EST, the aircraft landed with the nose landing gear retracted and the main landing gear extended. The aircraft experienced minor damage with both propellers impacting the runway while feathered, no damage to airport property was reported, and the pilot reported no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 9, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 EST, A 2006 PIPER PA-44-180 DEPARTED LAKELAND-LINDER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LAL) FOR MELBOURNE-ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MLB). THIS WAS A SOLO FLIGHT FOR FLIGHT SCHOOL BUSINESS/NON-INSTRUCTION. ON CLIMB-OUT FROM LAL AND SHORTLY AFTER RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR, THE PILOT HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND NOTED THE LANDING GEAR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED A FEW MINUTES LATER. THE PILOT INITIATED TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO EXTEND. ATTEMPTS FOR EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT CONTACTED MLB TOWER AND ALERTED THEM OF THE GEAR ISSUE AND WAS CLEARED FOR A LOW PASS TO OBTAIN VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE LANDING GEAR POSITION. ATC CONFIRMED THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE EXTENDED BUT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WAS CLEARED FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 9L. THE PILOT FEATHERED THE PROPELLERS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE AND EXECUTED A SOFT-FIELD LANDING. AT APPROXIMATELY 1230 EST, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED MINOR DAMAGE WITH BOTH PROPELLERS IMPACTING THE RUNWAY WHILE FEATHERED, NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY WAS REPORTED, AND THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES.
Other reports on N885FT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.