A PIPER PA31 EXECUTED AN EMER LNDG WITH THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR NOT EXTENDED; CAUSED BY WATER CONTAMINATED HYD FLUID.

Date: 2000-12 · Aircraft: PA-31 Navajo/Chieftan/Mojave/T1040 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|other-right-landing-gear-failure

Synopsis

A PIPER PA31 EXECUTED AN EMER LNDG WITH THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR NOT EXTENDED; CAUSED BY WATER CONTAMINATED HYD FLUID.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA30 IN CRW; OUR PLANNED DEP WAS COMPLETED AND I SELECTED GEAR UP. I THEN SWITCHED GEAR DOWN AND UP AGAIN; SINCE THE POSSIBILITY OF SLUSH OR OTHER MOISTURE COULD FREEZE THE GEAR. I RECEIVED NORMAL GEAR INDICATIONS EXCEPT THAT WHEN GEAR WAS SELECTED UP FOR THE SECOND TIME; THE HANDLE DID NOT RETURN TO NEUTRAL AND HAD A RED WARNING LIGHT INDICATING A POSSIBLE PROB WITH THE INBOARD GEAR DOORS. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR LOW APCH. CRW TWR INDICATED THE R INBOARD DOOR REMAIN OPEN. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND AND DID SO WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS AFTER 'GEAR DOWN' WAS SELECTED. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG; TAXI; AND SHUTDOWN PROCEEDED. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE GEAR FOR ICE OR ANYTHING ELSE. I FOUND THE R INBOARD DOOR OPEN. AFTER DELIBERATING; I DECIDED SINCE THIS WAS THE ONLY THING ABNORMAL; I WOULD PROCEED TO HOME BASE; NEWARK-HEATH; OH; FOR UNSCHEDULED MAINT. PROCS WOULD REMAIN NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF REMAINING AT ALL TIMES BELOW MAX GEAR DOWN SPD OF 153 KIAS FOR STRUCTURAL REASONS. UPON DEP; ALL SYS OPERATED NORMALLY. I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND UP AND AGAIN RECEIVED NORMAL INDICATIONS. I DECIDED WE WOULD PROCEED TO ORIGINAL DEST OF SGH. AT CRUISE; THE RED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I CONTINUED AS PLANNED TO SGH AT LESS THAN 153 KIAS. DSNDING AND RECEIVING VISUAL APCH CLRNC; I SELECTED GEAR DOWN. THE ACFT YAWED AND NO GREEN LIGHT FOR THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS SEEN. I CYCLED THE GEAR NUMEROUS TIMES TO NO AVAIL. AFTER 2 LOW PASSES; VISUAL CONFIRMATION WAS RECEIVED THAT THE R GEAR WAS 'PARTIALLY HANGING DOWN.' I PICKED UP MY FINAL IFR CLRNC TO HOME; VTA (NEWARK-HEATH; OH). AFTER LEVELOFF AT 5000 FT; I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND BEGAN CALLING VTA UNICOM TO RELAY MY SIT. I BEGAN EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROCS; BUT WHEN I EXTENDED THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE; IT WAS FROZEN IN PLACE AND UNMOVABLE. I HAD NOTHING TO LOSE; SO I BROKE IT FREE AND HAD FULL MOTION; BUT NO RESISTANCE AT ALL. THIS MOTION REVEALED NO PRESSURE AND GEAR DOWN MOTION. I INSTRUCTED MY PAX TO SIT IN THE BACK FACING REARWARD AND BRIEFED HIM ON EMER EGRESS PROCS. I ASKED COLUMBUS APCH TO CALL THE FBO AT VTA AND THE FIRE DEPT. I AGAIN CYCLED THE GEAR A NUMBER OF TIMES AS ONE LAST DITCH EFFORT; TO NO AVAIL. I BRIEFED THE PAX ON MY INTENTION TO COMPLETE THE SDF APCH TO RWY 9 AT VTA AND CIRCLE FOR RWY 27. I EXITED THE PLT DOOR AND MY WAY TO THE CABIN DOOR AND EXITED MY PAX. BOTH PAX AND MYSELF WERE COMPLETELY UNHARMED. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RAISED UP TO LOWER THE GEAR; THE MECH DISCONNECTED THE HYD LINE AND DISCOVERED THE LINE BLOCKED WITH ICE. AFTER MELTING IT WITH A BLOWTORCH; THE GEAR RELEASED AND EXTENDED. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION WHY THERE WAS WATER IN MY HYD SYS. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE SAME INCIDENT WOULD BE REACHED SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE POSSIBLY WITH WORSE END RESULTS. THERE IS NO MAINT INSPECTION CALLING FOR CHKING THE INTEGRITY OF THE HYD FLUID; EVER -- ONLY TO ADD FLUID AS NEEDED. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; I SHALL SEE TO IT THAT THE HYD SYS IS PURGED OF ALL FLUID BEFORE SVCING WITH MIL SPEC HYD FLUID AND WILL DO SO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.