A PIPER PA30 HAD LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR ON LNDG GEAR EXTENSION. NOSE LNDG AND MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED ON TOUCHDOWN INCURRING DAMAGE.

Date: 2001-08 · Aircraft: PA-30 Twin Comanche · Phase: landing

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|ground-event-encounter-other-unknown|other-battery-failure

Synopsis

A PIPER PA30 HAD LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR ON LNDG GEAR EXTENSION. NOSE LNDG AND MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED ON TOUCHDOWN INCURRING DAMAGE.

Narrative

WHILE MAKING A TRAINING FLT FROM IN7 TO ZZZ (35 NM) I HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I GOT A STEADY GREEN FROM THE TWR AFTER 2 PASSES BY THE TWR AND THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. IN FACT NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN AND GEAR COLLAPSED ON RWY. TWR SHOULD HAVE SEEN NOSE GEAR NOT LOCKED AND GIVEN ME A LIGHT SIGNAL OTHER THAN STEADY GREEN. ACFT LANDED ON MAIN GEAR BUT GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN NOSEWHEEL TOUCHED DOWN. 2 WITNESSES SAW NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. ZZZ TWR GAVE ME A FALSE ASSURANCE THAT GEAR WAS DOWN BY THE STEADY GREEN LIGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS A PIPER PA30 AND WAS A RENTAL ACFT. THE RPTR SAID ON LNDG GEAR EXTENSION THE AIRPLANE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. THE RPTR STATED THE MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS DOWN BUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE RPTR SAID THE LNDG GEAR IS ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AND WITH THE DC BATTERY FAILURE THE L AND R ALTERNATORS FAILED DUE TO NO EXCITATION RESULTING IN NO EXTEND PWR. THE RPTR STATED THE NOSE GEAR WAS EXTENDED MANUALLY BUT WAS NOT LOCKED DOWN AS WELL AS THE MAIN GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED DOWN. THE ACFT INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE; PROPS AND ENGS. THE RPTR SAID THE TWR OPERATOR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN FLASHING GREEN LIGHTS OR A FLASHING RED AND GREEN LIGHTS.

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