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Small aircraft being test flown after repairs has landing gear collapse upon touchdown for reasons unknown.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140783 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jxn |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1920 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 140783 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
During aircraft test flight gear collapsed upon 2ND landing. Possible mechanical failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter explained that he and another pilot were taking the aircraft on a test flight after a mechanic had repaired a dent in the wing leading edge. On their second time around the traffic pattern, the gear was put down but it collapsed as the aircraft settled onto the runway. Only the mains collapsed, not the nose wheel. Pilot tried to fly the aircraft off the runway when he realized that something was wrong, but he was unable to due to lack of airspeed. Subsequent investigation was not totally conclusive, however, it was found that the mechanical uplocks for the landing gear were loose, and that the owner, also an aircraft mechanic, had performed some non-standard maintenance on the gear system recently. Reporter was accused by the aircraft's owner of not putting the gear down, and the FAA is investigating his allegation, but to date, there has been no finding against the reporter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA BEING TEST FLOWN AFTER REPAIRS HAS LNDG GEAR COLLAPSE UPON TOUCHDOWN FOR REASONS UNKNOWN.
Narrative: DURING ACFT TEST FLT GEAR COLLAPSED UPON 2ND LNDG. POSSIBLE MECHANICAL FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR EXPLAINED THAT HE AND ANOTHER PLT WERE TAKING THE ACFT ON A TEST FLT AFTER A MECH HAD REPAIRED A DENT IN THE WING LEADING EDGE. ON THEIR SECOND TIME AROUND THE TFC PATTERN, THE GEAR WAS PUT DOWN BUT IT COLLAPSED AS THE ACFT SETTLED ONTO THE RWY. ONLY THE MAINS COLLAPSED, NOT THE NOSE WHEEL. PLT TRIED TO FLY THE ACFT OFF THE RWY WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO DUE TO LACK OF AIRSPD. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION WAS NOT TOTALLY CONCLUSIVE, HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE MECHANICAL UPLOCKS FOR THE LNDG GEAR WERE LOOSE, AND THAT THE OWNER, ALSO AN ACFT MECH, HAD PERFORMED SOME NON-STANDARD MAINT ON THE GEAR SYS RECENTLY. RPTR WAS ACCUSED BY THE ACFT'S OWNER OF NOT PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN, AND THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING HIS ALLEGATION, BUT TO DATE, THERE HAS BEEN NO FINDING AGAINST THE RPTR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.