What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 29 June 2025 at 2040 local, departed whp runway 12, left downwind to santa clarita practice area. On approach back into whp after extending landing gear pilots noticed there was no light indicating gear down and locked. The student pilot, remained flying, in whp traffic pattern, while CFI tried to troubleshoot by retracting and extending landing gear multiple times without success. Pilots decided to extend landing gear manually this was preformed by the CFI. Pulled landing gear circuit breaker, placed landing gear handle to down position and engaged hand crank until what they believed was the down and locked position.
Student pilot stated that the mechanical gear down and locked indicator did not indicate down and locked and there was no green light indication either.
Pilots called friends on the ground to visually confirm that the gear was down and locked. Friends confirmed that the gear appeared to be down so they attempted a landing, runway 12.
On landing nose gear collapsed followed by main landing gear collapse, leading to a prop strike and surface damage to the underside of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
ON 29 JUNE 2025 AT 2040 LOCAL, DEPARTED WHP RUNWAY 12, LEFT DOWNWIND TO SANTA CLARITA PRACTICE AREA. ON APPROACH BACK INTO WHP AFTER EXTENDING LANDING GEAR PILOTS NOTICED THERE WAS NO LIGHT INDICATING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THE STUDENT PILOT, REMAINED FLYING, IN WHP TRAFFIC PATTERN, WHILE CFI TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT BY RETRACTING AND EXTENDING LANDING GEAR MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. PILOTS DECIDED TO EXTEND LANDING GEAR MANUALLY THIS WAS PREFORMED BY THE CFI. PULLED LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER, PLACED LANDING GEAR HANDLE TO DOWN POSITION AND ENGAGED HAND CRANK UNTIL WHAT THEY BELIEVED WAS THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION.
STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT THE MECHANICAL GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR DID NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED AND THERE WAS NO GREEN LIGHT INDICATION EITHER.
PILOTS CALLED FRIENDS ON THE GROUND TO VISUALLY CONFIRM THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. FRIENDS CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN SO THEY ATTEMPTED A LANDING, RUNWAY 12.
ON LANDING NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED FOLLOWED BY MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE, LEADING TO A PROP STRIKE AND SURFACE DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
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