# NTSB SEA03LA027: Classic Fighter Industries ME-262 Reproduction, N262AZ, Everett, WA, January 17, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 17, 2003, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Everett, WA - Coordinates: 47.919723, -122.277778 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9197&lon=-122.2778&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56366 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA03LA027 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56366/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56366 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA03LA027 ## Probable cause Failure of the left main gear hydraulic actuator locking slide during landing. Factors include an embankment adjacent to the landing runway. ## Analysis The pilot reported that shortly after touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft veered to the left, eventually exiting the runway edge and traveling down an embankment that’s adjacent to the runway. Post accident inspection of the aircraft's left main gear hydraulic system revealed that the hydraulic actuator locking slide was undersized which allowed the gear to collapse (unlock) when placed under a load. ## Factual narrative On January 17, 2003, at 1430 Pacific standard time, an experimental ME 262 reproduction, N262AZ, sustained substantial damage following a gear collapse during the landing rollout at Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field), Everett, Washington. The airline transport pilot-in-command was not injured. The airplane is owned by a private party and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) post production test flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had been filed for the local test flight that originated from Paine Field approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. During a telephone conversation with the Investigator-In-Charge (IIC), the pilot reported that he experienced a problem with the airplane's landing gear and utilized the emergency gear extension system (nitrogen blow-down) to lower the gear. The pilot stated that after activating the system, the landing gear extended and the green gear down indicator lights illuminated. After successfully lowering the gear, the pilot initiated a landing at the departure airport. He reported that shortly after touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft veered to the left, eventually exiting the runway edge and traveling down an embankment that's adjacent to the runway. Post accident inspection of the aircraft's left main gear hydraulic system revealed that the hydraulic actuator locking slide was undersized which allowed the gear to collapse (unlock) when placed under a load. See attached report for additional information. During the accident sequence, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Gear collapsed, landing - hydraulic system,accumulator - failure,partial (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - terrain condition - drop-off/descending embankment (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N262AZ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N262AZ), registered now, S/N 501241, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Classic Fighter Industries ME-262 Reproduction - Registry model: [Classic Fighter Industries ME 262 REPRODUCTION](https://openairdocs.org/model/classic-fighter-industries-me-262-reproduction) (registry code 05608IN) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [GE CJ-610-8A](https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cj-610-8a) (registry code 30035, turbo-jet) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 501241 - Airframe hours: 2 - Engines: General Electric J85-17A 2850 lbs thrust turbo jet - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Flight test, Part 91 - Operator: Wolfgang Czaia - Registered owner: Lou Werner - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: AAIP, November 19, 2002, 2 hours before - Departed: PAE, Everett, WA - Destination: PAE, Everett, WA - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: PAE, Snohomish County (Paine Fld), runway 34, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 23, 2002; seat: front; flight hours: 25,600 total, 1 in this make and model, 21,500 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.34 inHg - Observed at: KPAE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030117000719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030117000719A), Jan 17, 2003: Amtr ME262, Everett, WA, Substantial damage. (-23) The aircraft sustained substantial damage following a left main landing gear collapse during the landing rollout at pae, rwy 34. The pilot reported that… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=56366. 428 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 365 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40442949&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Summary of White One Landing Accident (item 2, .PDF, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40200732&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Summary%20of%20White%20One%20Landing%20Accident-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.