Piper PA-42-720 Nose Gear Malfunction at Siegerland Airport

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 19 September 2007, a Piper Aircraft Corp. PA-42-720 Cheyenne III A was operating a flight from Copenhagen/Kastrup, Denmark, to Siegerland. During the landing approach at Verkehrsflughafen Siegerland, the crew discovered at 14:59 local time that the nose landing gear failed to extend fully. Cockpit indicators showed the main gear as “green and locked,” while the nose gear was indicated as “unlocked.” The nose gear was found to be jammed in a half-extended position at an angle of approximately 40 degrees, a condition confirmed by witness photographs of the aircraft’s overflight and subsequent approach. ## Crew and Aircraft Information The aircraft was operated by a 50-year-old pilot-in-command holding a commercial pilot license (CPL(A)) with 5,250 total flight hours, including 2,300 hours and 1,985 landings on the type. The 26-year-old co-pilot also held a CPL(A) with 248 total flight hours and 431 landings. The PA-42-720, a twin-engine low-wing aircraft with a retractable tricycle landing gear, had a serial number of 42-5501046. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated 15,175 hours and 45 minutes with 22,022 landings. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-61 turbo-prop engines equipped with Hartzell propellers. ## Emergency Procedures and Landing After aborting the initial approach, the crew performed a low pass past the control tower to visually confirm the gear status. Subsequent attempts to deploy the nose gear using the emergency hand pump and emergency gear extension bottles were unsuccessful. The crew then decided to make a precautionary landing on the asphalt runway in direction 31. To minimize risk, they first flew off a significant portion of the fuel. During the landing approach, the engines were shut down and the propellers placed in the feather position. The aircraft touched down on the main landing gear. After slowing down, the nose of the aircraft lowered to the ground and skidded across the asphalt until it came to a stop. ## Damage and Investigation Findings The landing resulted in minor damage to the aircraft, including a crushed nose down to the battery compartment and bent blades on both propellers. The nose gear leg was found extended at approximately 40 degrees, with the nose wheel deflected about 15 degrees to the left. The three fastening screws of the gear control lever were sheared off. The investigation concluded that the nose wheel was deflected to the left at the time of takeoff during the previous departure. During the retraction process, the guide rail intended to return the nose wheel to its neutral position became blocked in the gear guide tube. The hydraulic cylinder continued the retraction, causing the fastening screws to shear. This prevented the nose gear from returning to the neutral position, forcing it into the gear bay. During the subsequent extension attempt, the gear jammed irreversibly at the 40-degree position due to the detached control lever. The five occupants—two pilots and three passengers—exited the aircraft without injury. No fire occurred, and the runway surface sustained damage from the skid.