What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 17 may 2025, at 1000(l) the bradley FSDO received notice regarding a Cessna 177RG landed on runway 14/32 and experienced a nose gear collapse. 1 person on board, no injuries, and aircraft damage was unknown at this time. The iic arrived at the accident scene at Fitchburg airport (kfit) at 10:16 local time on 19 may 2025 to conduct the investigation of the accident scene including the aircraft, and interview the pilot, and the airport manager.
Prior to the iics arrival, the airpot manager moved the aircraft to a maintenance facility on the airfield. The iic informed the airport manager to contact the NTSB or FAA prior to moving any aircraft involved in an incident in the future. Damage to the aircraft consisted of all three propeller blade tips had errosion damage and neatly curled back, nose landing gear left hand door stut bent, and right-hand exaust pipe tip errosion and tip slighly bent. No other damage was identified.
During the examination of the landing area found the aircraft stopped mid field approximatly 1200 yards from where the aircraft touchdown and the last 60 feet (approx) off the flight strip to the right of the cenerline in the grass. Propeller tip ground strike marks and exhaust tip scars ran the length of the landing. The pilot stated he intended to relocate the aircraft to (kdgm) in gardner, Massachusetts after annual inspection. After take-off, the pilot noted the main wheels were not retracting. A second attempt to retract the gear was attempted with no success during downwind manuver enroute to land the aircraft at kfit. The main landing gear appeared to be down, but, the status of the nose gear was unclear. Upon touchdown, pilot stated he guided acft to a stop veering to the right and stopping in the grass off runway 14/32.
As the FAA filed it
ON 17 MAY 2025, AT 1000(L) THE BRADLEY FSDO RECEIVED NOTICE REGARDING A CESSNA 177RG LANDED ON RUNWAY 14/32 AND EXPERIENCED A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE. 1 PERSON ON BOARD, NO INJURIES, AND AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME. THE IIC ARRIVED AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE AT FITCHBURG AIRPORT (KFIT) AT 10:16 LOCAL TIME ON 19 MAY 2025 TO CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE INCLUDING THE AIRCRAFT, AND INTERVIEW THE PILOT, AND THE AIRPORT MANAGER.
PRIOR TO THE IICS ARRIVAL, THE AIRPOT MANAGER MOVED THE AIRCRAFT TO A MAINTENANCE FACILITY ON THE AIRFIELD. THE IIC INFORMED THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO CONTACT THE NTSB OR FAA PRIOR TO MOVING ANY AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT CONSISTED OF ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADE TIPS HAD ERROSION DAMAGE AND NEATLY CURLED BACK, NOSE LANDING GEAR LEFT HAND DOOR STUT BENT, AND RIGHT-HAND EXAUST PIPE TIP ERROSION AND TIP SLIGHLY BENT. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS IDENTIFIED.
DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE LANDING AREA FOUND THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED MID FIELD APPROXIMATLY 1200 YARDS FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHDOWN AND THE LAST 60 FEET (APPROX) OFF THE FLIGHT STRIP TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENERLINE IN THE GRASS. PROPELLER TIP GROUND STRIKE MARKS AND EXHAUST TIP SCARS RAN THE LENGTH OF THE LANDING. THE PILOT STATED HE INTENDED TO RELOCATE THE AIRCRAFT TO (KDGM) IN GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS AFTER ANNUAL INSPECTION. AFTER TAKE-OFF, THE PILOT NOTED THE MAIN WHEELS WERE NOT RETRACTING. A SECOND ATTEMPT TO RETRACT THE GEAR WAS ATTEMPTED WITH NO SUCCESS DURING DOWNWIND MANUVER ENROUTE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT KFIT. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN, BUT, THE STATUS OF THE NOSE GEAR WAS UNCLEAR. UPON TOUCHDOWN, PILOT STATED HE GUIDED ACFT TO A STOP VEERING TO THE RIGHT AND STOPPING IN THE GRASS OFF RUNWAY 14/32.