What happened
On June 27, 2018, a Piper Malibu P46T, registration N45WF, was performing a private flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) from Dijon-Darois to Geneva Airport. While on final approach to runway 05, the pilot monitored the landing gear deployment indicators and observed that all three green lights were illuminated, signaling that the gear was locked.
Upon making contact with the main landing gear, the aircraft's propeller struck the runway surface. In an attempt to prevent high-speed contact and further damage, the pilot immediately applied maximum back pressure to pitch the nose up. The aircraft eventually came to a halt on the runway, and the pilot notified air traffic control of the incident.
The investigation
Following the event, a visual inspection of the nose gear bay was conducted. The investigation focused on why the gear failed to remain extended despite the cockpit indicators showing a locked status. The inspection revealed that the hydraulic actuator for the nose gear was no longer mechanically secured correctly. Despite this mechanical failure, the system was still providing a signal to the cockpit that the gear was in the locked position.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a mechanical failure of the nose gear hydraulic actuator, which was not properly secured.
- The cockpit indicators provided misleading information, as the green deployment lights remained illuminated even though the gear was not mechanically stable.
- The incident resulted in slight injuries to one person on board and caused slight damage to the aircraft, specifically affecting the nose gear and the propeller.