Small aircraft just out from annual has stuck nose gear.

Attributes
ACN	252994
Time
Date	199309
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ppf
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
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	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	252994
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft had just completed annual inspection which had been due in july. I was to return it to customer's base airport, about 20 mi away. I noted in logbook that annual was signed off oct/xx/93. As date was sep/xy/93 I thought that, technically, aircraft was not legal to fly, but figured nothing would happen on such a short flight. Took off, flight was uneventful. Entered pattern and dropped gear. Mains popped into place, pump continued to run for about 10 seconds then breaker popped on landing gear. I recycled with same results. Tried to pull out hand pump but it was stuck. Finally, I slowed down and jerked back on yoke and the g-loading popped nose gear in place and I got a green light. Landed uneventfully. Aircraft was returned to maintenance shop and worn parts found on nose gear, a non-locking nut was used in place of a fibre lock nut and there was almost no hydraulic pressure pushing nose gear down. Inspection of nose gear (at annual) was done by a relatively inexperienced a&P who apparently needs more supervision. If gear hadn't come down, I have to think what the FAA and insurance company would have done considering the post-dating of the annual, just to give the guy an extra few days before his next inspection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA JUST OUT FROM ANNUAL HAS STUCK NOSE GEAR.

Narrative: ACFT HAD JUST COMPLETED ANNUAL INSPECTION WHICH HAD BEEN DUE IN JULY. I WAS TO RETURN IT TO CUSTOMER'S BASE ARPT, ABOUT 20 MI AWAY. I NOTED IN LOGBOOK THAT ANNUAL WAS SIGNED OFF OCT/XX/93. AS DATE WAS SEP/XY/93 I THOUGHT THAT, TECHNICALLY, ACFT WAS NOT LEGAL TO FLY, BUT FIGURED NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN ON SUCH A SHORT FLT. TOOK OFF, FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ENTERED PATTERN AND DROPPED GEAR. MAINS POPPED INTO PLACE, PUMP CONTINUED TO RUN FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS THEN BREAKER POPPED ON LNDG GEAR. I RECYCLED WITH SAME RESULTS. TRIED TO PULL OUT HAND PUMP BUT IT WAS STUCK. FINALLY, I SLOWED DOWN AND JERKED BACK ON YOKE AND THE G-LOADING POPPED NOSE GEAR IN PLACE AND I GOT A GREEN LIGHT. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO MAINT SHOP AND WORN PARTS FOUND ON NOSE GEAR, A NON-LOCKING NUT WAS USED IN PLACE OF A FIBRE LOCK NUT AND THERE WAS ALMOST NO HYD PRESSURE PUSHING NOSE GEAR DOWN. INSPECTION OF NOSE GEAR (AT ANNUAL) WAS DONE BY A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED A&P WHO APPARENTLY NEEDS MORE SUPERVISION. IF GEAR HADN'T COME DOWN, I HAVE TO THINK WHAT THE FAA AND INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD HAVE DONE CONSIDERING THE POST-DATING OF THE ANNUAL, JUST TO GIVE THE GUY AN EXTRA FEW DAYS BEFORE HIS NEXT INSPECTION.

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.