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 pilot planned a flight of less than 30 minutes near the airport. During the preflight inspection, the pilot opened the nose panel to adjust the position of the microswitch which powers a led that shows that the nose gear is fully extended. He stated the nose gear worked with no problem but the indicator was problematic; it worked in the hangar but was not reliable in the air. Once he had it in the correct position, he pushed the plane out of the hangar and proceeded to complete the interior preflight. The pilot did not reinstall the nose panel. He taxied and took off. As he gained airspeed he noticed a strong wind blowing by his feet. The pilot requested to return to the field and land. The PIC stated the strong wind was a distraction and caused him to not go through the usual prelanding checklist, including to extend the nose gear. The aircraft landed on the runway with the nose landing gear retracted, causing minor damage to the lower nose fuselage.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT PLANNED A FLIGHT OF LESS THAN 30 MINUTES NEAR THE AIRPORT. DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, THE PILOT OPENED THE NOSE PANEL TO ADJUST THE POSITION OF THE MICROSWITCH WHICH POWERS A LED THAT SHOWS THAT THE NOSE GEAR IS FULLY EXTENDED. HE STATED THE NOSE GEAR WORKED WITH NO PROBLEM BUT THE INDICATOR WAS PROBLEMATIC; IT WORKED IN THE HANGAR BUT WAS NOT RELIABLE IN THE AIR. ONCE HE HAD IT IN THE CORRECT POSITION, HE PUSHED THE PLANE OUT OF THE HANGAR AND PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE INTERIOR PREFLIGHT. THE PILOT DID NOT REINSTALL THE NOSE PANEL. HE TAXIED AND TOOK OFF. AS HE GAINED AIRSPEED HE NOTICED A STRONG WIND BLOWING BY HIS FEET. THE PILOT REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE FIELD AND LAND. THE PIC STATED THE STRONG WIND WAS A DISTRACTION AND CAUSED HIM TO NOT GO THROUGH THE USUAL PRELANDING CHECKLIST, INCLUDING TO EXTEND THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON THE RUNWAY WITH THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LOWER NOSE FUSELAGE.
Other reports on N350SS · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.