Accident Description
On July 20, 2025, at approximately 1545 central daylight time, a Questair Venture airplane, registration N53TL, was involved in an accident at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the pilot, he extended the landing gear while on approach over Fisk. He confirmed that three green lights were illuminated on the instrument panel, indicating all three landing gear were down and locked, and continued the approach. During the landing flare on runway 9, the airplane touched down on both main landing gear. As the nose of the airplane lowered, the propeller struck the runway surface. The airplane then slid for several feet before coming to rest on its nose.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts.
Postaccident Assessment
A postaccident assessment revealed that the nose landing gear was not extended at the time of landing. During recovery, the pilot attempted to extend the nose landing gear, but it would not extend. The circuit breaker for the nose landing gear motor was found in the tripped (popped) position. The pilot reset the circuit breaker and attempted to extend the nose landing gear a second time. On this attempt, the nose landing gear extended and locked in place.
The airplane was recovered to a secure hangar for further examination.