What happened
On 28 April 1999, a Rockwell Commander 114, registration G-BDYD, was performing a private flight when the pilot encountered difficulties with the landing gear following takeoff from Hawarden Airport, Wales. After departing the runway, the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear, but the system failed to respond to the up selection.
Upon selecting the gear to the down position, the main landing gear indicated it was down and locked; however, the nose landing gear 'in transit' light remained illuminated. The pilot attempted to recycle the gear and flew past the control tower to allow air traffic control to perform a visual inspection. Although controllers confirmed the wheels appeared to be down, the pilot proceeded to use the landing gear 'free-fall' system in an effort to achieve a full 'three green' indication. This procedure, along with the application of braking, failed to resolve the indication issue. Consequently, the pilot elected to land the aircraft.
While the initial touchdown on Runway 23 was normal, the nose landing gear collapsed as the aircraft decelerated during the landing roll. There were no injuries to the pilot or the passenger.
The investigation
An engineering investigation conducted by a repair agency examined the aircraft's hydraulic systems. The investigation focused on the hydraulic ram responsible for the nose landing gear mechanism. Testing revealed that the hydraulic ram functioned correctly during post-accident inspections, despite the damage sustained during the landing. No further faults were identified within the landing gear system during the technical examination.