What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was relocating aircraft from stafford airport (krmn) to Manassas airport (khef). Spouse, also a pilot, did 3 take-offs and landings at krmn. Pilots switched positions and pilot with incident, did 2 take-offs and landings at stafford and then flew to Manassas to do the landing. After which, their airplane would be hangared and stored. Upon arrival approaching khef from the sw, tower commented that the gear appeared to not be down. During this time in the arrival, pilot stated that in the aircraft all functions were appearing normal. They were normal at stafford and also on the arrival for 34L at khef. The gear handle was down and locked. The light on the floor showed green, verifying the gear was down. The panel on the console did not show indication of gear unsafe. Upon hearing gear not down, pilot opted to go-around just to be sure that all was in order. Tower, when learning that hangar was on the east side, tower cleared pilot to land 34R. Pilot placed the gear down, saw the green light confirming down, no gear unsafe indication showing and upon touch down on 34R, the aircraft bounced and upon landing the second time, the nose gear collapsed. Aircraft slid to a stop. Pilot, with concern of fumes or fire...immediately shut off the fuel valve and the master switch and exited aircraft immediately.
An inspection of the aircraft damage revealed damage to the propeller, sheet metal damage under the nose, and minor sheet metal damage to the left and right main landing gear doors. An examination of the aircraft maintenance logbooks revealed that all inspections were current as of September 20, 2025. Additionally, there was no recent maintenance done on the landing gear system.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS RELOCATING AIRCRAFT FROM STAFFORD AIRPORT (KRMN) TO MANASSAS AIRPORT (KHEF). SPOUSE, ALSO A PILOT, DID 3 TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS AT KRMN. PILOTS SWITCHED POSITIONS AND PILOT WITH INCIDENT, DID 2 TAKE-OFFS AND LANDINGS AT STAFFORD AND THEN FLEW TO MANASSAS TO DO THE LANDING. AFTER WHICH, THEIR AIRPLANE WOULD BE HANGARED AND STORED. UPON ARRIVAL APPROACHING KHEF FROM THE SW, TOWER COMMENTED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO NOT BE DOWN. DURING THIS TIME IN THE ARRIVAL, PILOT STATED THAT IN THE AIRCRAFT ALL FUNCTIONS WERE APPEARING NORMAL. THEY WERE NORMAL AT STAFFORD AND ALSO ON THE ARRIVAL FOR 34L AT KHEF. THE GEAR HANDLE WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE LIGHT ON THE FLOOR SHOWED GREEN, VERIFYING THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE PANEL ON THE CONSOLE DID NOT SHOW INDICATION OF GEAR UNSAFE. UPON HEARING GEAR NOT DOWN, PILOT OPTED TO GO-AROUND JUST TO BE SURE THAT ALL WAS IN ORDER. TOWER, WHEN LEARNING THAT HANGAR WAS ON THE EAST SIDE, TOWER CLEARED PILOT TO LAND 34R. PILOT PLACED THE GEAR DOWN, SAW THE GREEN LIGHT CONFIRMING DOWN, NO GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION SHOWING AND UPON TOUCH DOWN ON 34R, THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND UPON LANDING THE SECOND TIME, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. AIRCRAFT SLID TO A STOP. PILOT, WITH CONCERN OF FUMES OR FIRE...IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE FUEL VALVE AND THE MASTER SWITCH AND EXITED AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY.
AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, SHEET METAL DAMAGE UNDER THE NOSE, AND MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOORS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT ALL INSPECTIONS WERE CURRENT AS OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2025. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS NO RECENT MAINTENANCE DONE ON THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM.