What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
03/14/2025 - A Cessna 182 inbound to Flagstaff (flg) from van nuys (vny) experienced a nose gear failure upon landing. The nose gear collapsed upon touchdown, resulting in a prop strike, skidding damage to the underside of the nose section, and damage to the exhaust manifold.
The pilot-in-command (PIC) was receiving radar vectors for a visual approach following a VFR flight with flight following enroute from vny to flg. On downwind, the PIC attempted to extend the landing gear but received indications of only two green lights. The gear was recycled multiple times, and the gear indication lights were confirmed operational. The PIC notified the control tower of regarding the landing gear and requested a low-pass visual gear inspection by tower personnel. The tower confirmed the gear visually "appeared" extended.
The PIC continued in the traffic pattern and executed a final approach, touching down near stall speed while attempting to hold the nose gear off the runway for as long as possible. Upon touchdown the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft's nose to lower abruptly. The resulting propeller strike and subsequent skidding moved the aircraft off the runway onto the snow and sleet-covered infield, where it came to rest. The PIC secured the aircraft by shutting down electrical systems and exited safely.
An inspection by the on-site maintenance provider at flg revealed that during the gear swing sequence (main gear followed by nose gear), sparking occurred at the nose gear. Further examination identified that the squat switch wiring lead had 2-3 exposed strands, which contacted the gear door at approximately 50% gear extension. This short-circuted the wiring and prematurely shut off the gear pump before adequate pressure was established to fully lock the nose gear.
The incident occurred when the PIC was attempting to discontinue the flight and complete a full stop landing at their destination of flg.
As the FAA filed it
03/14/2025 - A CESSNA 182 INBOUND TO FLAGSTAFF (FLG) FROM VAN NUYS (VNY) EXPERIENCED A NOSE GEAR FAILURE UPON LANDING. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED UPON TOUCHDOWN, RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE, SKIDDING DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE NOSE SECTION, AND DAMAGE TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD.
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (PIC) WAS RECEIVING RADAR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APPROACH FOLLOWING A VFR FLIGHT WITH FLIGHT FOLLOWING ENROUTE FROM VNY TO FLG. ON DOWNWIND, THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR BUT RECEIVED INDICATIONS OF ONLY TWO GREEN LIGHTS. THE GEAR WAS RECYCLED MULTIPLE TIMES, AND THE GEAR INDICATION LIGHTS WERE CONFIRMED OPERATIONAL. THE PIC NOTIFIED THE CONTROL TOWER OF REGARDING THE LANDING GEAR AND REQUESTED A LOW-PASS VISUAL GEAR INSPECTION BY TOWER PERSONNEL. THE TOWER CONFIRMED THE GEAR VISUALLY "APPEARED" EXTENDED.
THE PIC CONTINUED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND EXECUTED A FINAL APPROACH, TOUCHING DOWN NEAR STALL SPEED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HOLD THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE RUNWAY FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE TO LOWER ABRUPTLY. THE RESULTING PROPELLER STRIKE AND SUBSEQUENT SKIDDING MOVED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY ONTO THE SNOW AND SLEET-COVERED INFIELD, WHERE IT CAME TO REST. THE PIC SECURED THE AIRCRAFT BY SHUTTING DOWN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND EXITED SAFELY.
AN INSPECTION BY THE ON-SITE MAINTENANCE PROVIDER AT FLG REVEALED THAT DURING THE GEAR SWING SEQUENCE (MAIN GEAR FOLLOWED BY NOSE GEAR), SPARKING OCCURRED AT THE NOSE GEAR. FURTHER EXAMINATION IDENTIFIED THAT THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRING LEAD HAD 2-3 EXPOSED STRANDS, WHICH CONTACTED THE GEAR DOOR AT APPROXIMATELY 50% GEAR EXTENSION. THIS SHORT-CIRCUTED THE WIRING AND PREMATURELY SHUT OFF THE GEAR PUMP BEFORE ADEQUATE PRESSURE WAS ESTABLISHED TO FULLY LOCK THE NOSE GEAR.
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE PIC WAS ATTEMPTING TO DISCONTINUE THE FLIGHT AND COMPLETE A FULL STOP LANDING AT THEIR DESTINATION OF FLG.