Incident Overview
On March 11, 2017, at about 1515 Pacific standard time, a Piper Aerostar 602P, registration N301FW, landed with the left main landing gear retracted at Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada. The airline transport pilot was not injured. The airplane, which was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 for a personal cross-country flight, sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Sandpoint Airport (SZT), Sandpoint, Idaho at 1100 and was destined for Minden-Tahoe Airport (MEV), Minden, Idaho.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that after departure from SZT, the airplane performed normally during takeoff, climb, and cruise; the gear up light illuminated after gear retraction. Approaching MEV, the pilot entered a left traffic pattern for runway 30 and performed the landing checklist. Only the nose landing gear (NLG) and right main landing gear (MLG) indicator lights illuminated; the left MLG indicator light remained off. The pilot initiated a climb and performed the emergency gear extension checklist procedures, but the left MLG indicator light did not illuminate. He contacted Reno Approach, declared an emergency, and received permission to circle east of RNO to burn off fuel as part of the emergency gear-up landing checklist. After fuel in the left wing tank was exhausted, he requested and received clearance to land on runway 25. The airplane touched down with the left MLG retracted and the right MLG and NLG extended. Before coming to a full stop, the airplane impacted two taxiway signs.
Witness Observations
An airport operations supervisor who communicated with the pilot over the radio as he attempted to land at MEV reported that as the airplane flew over the runway, he observed only the NLG and right MLG extended. The pilot announced that he would attempt to land on runway 30. The supervisor observed the airplane make two passes over the runway; both times it appeared the left MLG was about 30 degrees down from horizontal, with the tire appearing to sit against the inside gear door.
Maintenance History
The pilot told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the accident flight was the first flight after a recent owner-assisted annual inspection. During that inspection, a small amount of hydraulic fluid was found on the control valve located in the upper, forward part of the left landing wheel well. The valve was subsequently resealed with new O-rings. The pilot stated he did not know if the landing gear was cycled after the valve maintenance. However, a review of maintenance records revealed that the last annual inspection, performed on March 6, 2017, included a landing gear swing.
Post-Accident Examination
The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination. On March 27, 2017, the FAA inspector traveled to the wreckage location to assist in an examination and swing of the landing gear. The inspector noticed that the right MLG side brace was broken, which would impede gear retraction. He decided to perform a partial swing of the landing gear to determine if the hydraulic system was operational. The gear pump circuit breaker was opened, and the gear handle was placed in the up position. The pump isolation switch was placed in the off position and the master switch was energized. The gear pump circuit breaker was reset, and the isolation switch was energized momentarily. The gear started to retract; however, immediately thereafter, the left side push-pull rod assembly that connects the gear door actuator to the landing gear and door control valve failed due to what appeared to be previous damage. The push-pull rod failed in compression, crimped, and eventually broke in half.
The FAA inspector later found that a mechanic had pictures of the left side rod taken prior to failure. The pictures showed postaccident damage of the push-pull rod.
The left main landing gear push-pull rod and the control valve were subsequently removed for additional examination. On June 21, 2017, the sequence valve was examined at Aerostar Aircraft Corporation in Hayden, Idaho. The valve was inspected, reassembled, and tested in accordance with Aerostar Acceptance and/or Function Test Procedure. No malfunctions were noted with the valve. The push-pull rod was examined on July 13, 2017, at the National Transportation Safety Board material lab in Washington, D.C. The examined fracture surfaces were consistent with overload. Complete examination reports are appended to this accident in the public docket.