- Date
- November 27, 1999
- Place
- Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
- Injuries
- 18 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N273EPde Havilland DHC-7
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 47885
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 the flight crew to properly execute the emergency landing gear extension procedure in response to a landing gear unsafe cockpit indication.
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
Approaching the destination, when the landing gear was lowered, the nose gear indicated unsafe and, without landing, the flight returned to the point of departure. The pilot-in-command viewed the nose gear alignment marks in the nose gear inspection window and believed the nose gear was down and locked, and that the gear unsafe light was an erroneous indication. During the landing rollout, the nose landing gear slowly collapsed as the weight of the aircraft settled on the nose. Investigation by the operator revealed a failure at the boss end of the nose gear extend actuator. The operator also determined that the flight crew did not accomplish the emergency gear extension procedure as specified in the Airplane Flight Manual. During recovery of the aircraft from the runway, operation of the emergency gear extension hand pump lowered and locked the nose gear in 8 strokes of the pump.
Factual narrative
On November 27, 1999, at 2107 hours local (Fiji) time, a Dehavilland DHC-7, N273EP, was substantially damaged when the nose landing gear collapsed during landing roll at Bucholz Army Air Field at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. No injuries were sustained by the airline transport certificated pilot or second pilot, the flight attendant, or 15 passengers. The flight, operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by Raytheon Systems Engineering for the United States Army as a public-use aircraft, departed Kwajalein at 2029 destined for Roi-Namur. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed.
Approaching Roi-Namur, when the landing gear was lowered, the nose gear indicated unsafe and, without landing, the flight returned to Kwajalein.
According to the operator's accident report, the pilot-in-command viewed the nose gear alignment marks in the nose gear inspection window and believed the nose gear was down and locked, and that the gear unsafe light was an erroneous indication. During the landing rollout, the nose landing gear slowly collapsed as the weight of the aircraft settled on the nose.
The operator's investigation revealed a failure in the boss area on the extend end of the nose gear actuator. The operator also determined that the flight crew did not complete the emergency gear extension procedure as specified in the Airplane Flight Manual. During recovery of the aircraft from the runway the emergency gear extension hand pump lowered and locked the nose gear in 8 strokes of the pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N273EP
- Reported as
- de Havilland DHC-7
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 011
- Airframe hours
- 24,021
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-50, 1,120 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- Raytheon Systems Engr'G
- Registered owner
- First Security Bank Na
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · September 24, 1999 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- PKWA
- Destination
- PKRO · Roi-Namur
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PKWA · Bucholz Aaf, runway 6, 6,760 × 200 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,712 total · 4,040 in this make and model · 9,889 as pilot in command · 142 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 310° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PKW