- Date
- July 1, 1984, 14:43 local (18:43 UTC)
- Place
- Hickory, NC
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4886TPiper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19840701029109A
- Case key
- 6491
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Acft landed with the nose gear retracted. Examination revealed that the nose gear was hung up in the wheel well because an AN4-12 bolt, which secured the nose gear centering spring ass'y, was hung up in the gear door linkage. An annual inspection was completed 20 hrs previous to the accident at which time the bolt & bushings on the shimmy dampener were replaced. The PA-34 maint manual indicates that the correct bolt, a AN24-20A, should be installed with the bolt head down & with a MS20364-428C lock nut. The bolt that hung up was installed with the bolt head up & was secured by a castlenut & cotter key. Piper service letter 852, dated 9/14/78, addressed the potential improper installation of the bolt & announced the availability of a placard to remind mechanics of the required method of installation. The service letter notes that when the bolt is installed incorrectly, nose gear operation can be restricted in the gear up position. The non-mandatory service letter had not been complied with in N4886T.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4886T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7250164
- Airframe hours
- 3,951
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Calypso Equipment, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1984 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- AVL · Asheville, NC
- Destination
- 5A7 · Banner Elk, NC
- Airport
- HKY · Hickory, runway 19, grass/turf
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,428 total · 664 in this make and model · 2,350 as pilot in command · 62 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HKY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.