What happened
On 20 October 2009, a Reims Cessna FR182 Skylane RG, registration G-NOCK, was performing a private flight when the pilot encountered a mechanical issue during the approach to Cambridge Airport. Upon selecting the landing gear to the down position, the green indication light failed to illuminate, signaling that the gear had not deployed as intended. The air traffic controller confirmed that the nose gear remained retracted.
In response to the emergency, the pilot declared a mayday and proceeded to land on the grass portion of Runway 10. During the landing, the aircraft settled onto its nose. The impact caused damage to the propeller and the forward section of the fuselage. There were no injuries to the pilot or the single passenger on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the failure of the nose gear to extend. The pilot attempted to follow the emergency protocols outlined in the Pilot’s Reference Handbook, which included an attempt to manually deploy the gear using the hand pump. Despite these efforts, the nose gear remained stuck in the retracted position.
Following the incident, the pilot indicated intentions to perform maintenance on the aircraft, specifically involving the replacement of hydraulic hoses and an overhaul of the nose gear actuator.