- Date
- October 1, 1997, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N168WSGrumman G-73
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971001045069I
- Case key
- 38407
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
On this page
Probable cause
the partial failure of a component of the hydraulic system resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll.
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
After lowering the landing gear the pilot confirmed that it was down and locked while on final approach. After touchdown during the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. Post incident trouble shooting of the hydraulic system revealed that the landing gear hydraulic selector valve failed to hold pressure resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 1997, about 1615 eastern daylight time, a Grumman G-73, N168WS, registered to Pantechnicon Aviation Ltd., experienced a collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 type-rating flight. The airplane sustained minor damage and the airline-transport rated type rating applicant/pilot, second pilot, and an FAA operations inspector were not injured. The flight originated about 1215 from the same airport.
The pilot-in-command stated that the gear operated normally during the flight which included several gear extensions and retractions. While on final approach, the landing gear indicator indicated that the gear was down which was confirmed once after landing gear extension, and again on short final. After touchdown during the landing roll at an indicated airspeed of about 40 knots, the nose landing gear collapsed.
Post incident trouble shooting of the hydraulic system revealed that the landing gear hydraulic selector valve failed to hold pressure resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. Pressure testing of the valve revealed that a poppet valve part number 27580, was bypassing fluid. The O-rings were replaced and the poppet valve continued to bypass fluid.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N168WS
- Reported as
- Grumman G-73
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- J-5
- Airframe hours
- 7,145
- Engine
- P&W R-1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pantechnicon Aviation Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 1997 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- FLL
- Airport
- FLL · Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, runway 9R, 5,276 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,884 total · 28 in this make and model · 7,156 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.