Experimental Velocity Serg 173 lands with nose gear retracted at Santo Domingo Aerodrome

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On January 2, 2023, at approximately 12:00 local time, an experimental Velocity Serg 173 aircraft operated by a private pilot with two passengers aboard conducted a touch-and-go maneuver on runway 23 at Santo Domingo Aerodrome (SCSN) in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. During the landing phase, the aircraft's nose landing gear failed to extend, resulting in the aircraft touching down with the nose gear retracted. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway, and all three occupants—the pilot and two passengers—were reported uninjured. The aircraft, manufactured by Velocity INC. in 2018, was powered by a Teledyne TMXIO-360 engine and equipped with an MT Propeller MTV-12-B propeller. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated 145.7 flight hours. The pilot, a 67-year-old Chilean national, held a private pilot license for single-engine aircraft and had a total of 279 hours and 39 minutes of flight experience, including 60 hours on the specific aircraft type. ## Investigation Findings and Damage Assessment The preliminary investigation by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) revealed that the nose gear was obstructed by the aircraft's battery, which had shifted from its secured position. The battery, held in place by a Velcro strap, had moved sufficiently to prevent the nose gear leg from extending fully. During post-incident testing with the aircraft on jacks, investigators confirmed that the nose gear remained stuck until the battery was repositioned, after which the landing gear system operated normally. Damage to the aircraft was confined to the nose landing gear bay, where both access doors suffered material loss, and the battery support was fractured. The main landing gear, flight controls, propeller, and cockpit interior were found to be undamaged. The aircraft made initial contact with the runway at 310 meters from the threshold of runway 23 and skidded approximately 252 meters before coming to a stop. ## Operational and Maintenance Context The aircraft's maintenance records indicated compliance with mandatory maintenance schedules, with the last inspection conducted on November 18, 2021, at 88.10 hours of service. No prior discrepancies or observations related to the landing gear system were noted in the maintenance logs. Following the incident, a note was added to the aircraft's logbook stating, “During landing, the nose gear did not deploy.” Meteorological conditions at the time of the incident were suitable for visual flight rules (VFR) operations. The aircraft was carrying 90 liters of AVGAS 100LL fuel, and its total landing weight was calculated at 912.8 kilograms, well below the maximum permissible weight of 1,043 kilograms. The investigation is currently in the final report preparation stage.