- Date
- November 14, 2015, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2112QCessna 177
- Defining event
- Landing: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Riverside FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20151114019279A
- Case key
- 92424
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 failure of a shaft seal at the nose gear retraction/extension actuator, which resulted in a loss of hydraulic fluid and a main landing gear collapse during landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the takeoff initial climb, after the landing gear was retracted, the landing gear's hydraulic pump electric motor continued to run, even though the landing gear appeared to be fully retracted, as viewed in the landing gear mirror. The pilot then attempted to extend the landing gear normally, but the landing gear would not indicate down and locked. Subsequently, for over an hour, the pilot attempted to manually extend the landing gear, using the emergency manual gear extension hand pump, but he could see in the mirror that the landing gear was only partially extended. During the subsequent emergency landing, the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The right stabilator sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed that the landing gear system was empty of hydraulic fluid. After the system was serviced with hydraulic fluid and operated, a leak was found at the nose gear actuator due to the failure of a shaft seal. The tests revealed that the landing gear extension process could not be completed, and the manual landing gear pump did not have sufficient fluid remaining to extend all three landing gear. The airplane logbooks revealed no records of service to the nose gear actuator and shaft seal and each were the original manufactured parts.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff initial climb, after the landing gear was retracted, the landing gear's hydraulic pump electric motor continued to run, even though the landing gear appeared to be fully retracted, as viewed in the landing gear mirror. The pilot then attempted to extend the landing gear normally, but the landing gear would not indicate down and locked. Subsequently, for over an hour, the pilot attempted to manually extend the landing gear, using the emergency manual gear extension hand pump, but he could see in the mirror that the landing gear was only partially extended. During the subsequent emergency landing, the main landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop on the runway. The right stabilator sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination revealed that the landing gear system was empty of hydraulic fluid. After the system was serviced with hydraulic fluid and operated, a leak was found at the nose gear actuator due to the failure of a shaft seal. The tests revealed that the landing gear extension process could not be completed, and the manual landing gear pump did not have sufficient fluid remaining to extend all three landing gear. The airplane logbooks revealed no records of service to the nose gear actuator and shaft seal and each were the original manufactured parts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2112Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 177 (RG)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0512
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 3,289
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 17, 2015
- Departed
- UDD · Palm Springs, CA
- Destination
- HMT · Hemet, CA
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs Intl, runway 31R, 4,952 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 22, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,596 total · 603 in this make and model · 3,132 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KPSP
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 7, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.