What happened
On 26 April 2005, a Glasair RG, registration G-TRUK, was performing a PFA Annual Permit Renewal Flight Test at Bembridge Airport, Isle of Wight. The flight followed recent repairs to the aircraft after a previous landing incident. During the takeoff from runway 30, the pilot noticed that while the main landing gear had retracted, the nose landing gear light remained green.
After communicating with Bembridge radio, the pilot performed a gear cycle to attempt to clear the fault. While the main gear functioned normally, the nose gear indication remained green. The pilot subsequently selected the gear down, and upon receiving three green indications, proceeded to land. During the approach, the pilot requested visual confirmation from ground personnel, who reported the gear appeared to be down and locked.
Upon touchdown on the main gear, the nose gear failed to support the aircraft's weight. The nose continued to descend until the propeller struck the runway, causing the aircraft to slide to a halt. There were no injuries to the pilot, though the aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, engine, spinner, and forward cowling.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the sequence of gear operations. A maintenance organization's inspection suggested that the nose wheel had failed to reach its geometric lock position. This was attributed to the undercarriage pump motor locking out prematurely, even though the cockpit indication suggested the gear was up. The investigation focused on why the nose gear indication remained green during the initial retraction and why the gear failed to lock during the subsequent extension.