- Date
- March 12, 2007, 20:10 local (Mar 13, 2007, 01:10 UTC)
- Place
- Des Moines, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N400VLPiper PA-24-400
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines, Iowa
- FAA report
- 20070312003419A
- Case key
- 65490
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the nose landing gear becoming jammed in a partially extended position during flight as a result of damage to the nose landing gear by ground personnel.
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
The airplane was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing following a failure of the landing gear to extend. The pilot reported that during an approach for landing, the airplane's landing gear failed to extend fully. The pilot reported that during the first attempt to lower the landing gear he heard a "metallic-sounding 'clack.'" The pilot reported that he made several attempts to lower the landing gear using both the normal and emergency extension procedures. The pilot reported that he elected to divert to another airport to perform an emergency landing. Upon reaching the alternate airport, the pilot performed a fly-by and ground personnel confirmed that the landing gear was not fully extended. The pilot elected to perform a wheels-up landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed that the landing gear would not fully extend. Further examination revealed damage to the nose landing gear steering stops, the nose landing gear down lock mechanism, and the nose landing gear wheel well sidewall. The damage to the nose landing gear was consistent with exceeding the steering limits of the nose landing gear during ground handling.
Factual narrative
The airplane was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing following a failure of the landing gear to extend. The pilot reported that during an approach for landing, the airplane's landing gear failed to extend fully. The pilot reported that during the first attempt to lower the landing gear he heard a "metallic-sounding 'clack.'" The pilot reported that he made several attempts to lower the landing gear using both the normal and emergency extension procedures. The pilot reported that he elected to divert to another airport to perform an emergency landing. Upon reaching the alternate airport, the pilot performed a fly-by and ground personnel confirmed that the landing gear was not fully extended. The pilot elected to perform a wheels-up landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed that the landing gear would not fully extend. Further examination revealed damage to the nose landing gear steering stops, the nose landing gear down lock mechanism, and the nose landing gear wheel well sidewall. The damage to the nose landing gear was consistent with exceeding the steering limits of the nose landing gear during ground handling.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N400VL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-400
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26-124
- Airframe hours
- 4,106
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720-A1B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2007
- Departed
- 3Y3 · Winterset, IA
- Destination
- I75 · Osceola, IA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2005
- Flight hours
- 948 total · 652 in this make and model · 912 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.