AC11; COMMANDER 114; PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN RETURNED TO LAND AFTER TROUBLE WITH NOSE GEAR RETRACTION AFTER TKOF; AND A MAX OIL TEMP INDICATION. HOWEVER; AFTER A FLY-BY BY THE TWR 2 TIMES TO OBSERVE GEAR POS; THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LNDG ROLL.
Synopsis
AC11; COMMANDER 114; PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN RETURNED TO LAND AFTER TROUBLE WITH NOSE GEAR RETRACTION AFTER TKOF; AND A MAX OIL TEMP INDICATION. HOWEVER; AFTER A FLY-BY BY THE TWR 2 TIMES TO OBSERVE GEAR POS; THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON LNDG ROLL.
Narrative
PLT DEPARTED PWA ON RWY 17L. THE FLT WAS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLT BOUND FOR AUS; TX; ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE FLT WAS CLRED TO AUS VIA ROUTING AND TO CLB TO 9000 FT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; THE PLT NOTED THAT THE LNDG GEAR ANNUNCIATIONS INDICATED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS STILL DOWN AND LOCKED; THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT WAS STILL GREEN. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO RECTIFY THE INDICATION BY ENSURING THAT THE LIGHT WAS NOT IN 'TEST' MODE BUT IN FACT WAS RECEIVING A POSITIVE SIGNAL FROM THE GEAR SYS. UPON VERIFICATION THAT THE INDICATOR LIGHT APPEARED TO BE SHOWING A NOSE GEAR STILL BEING EXTENDED; THE PLT ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO PWA; APPROX 15-20 NM AWAY. AFTER HDOF TO PWA TWR; THE PLT REQUESTED A LOW APCH AND A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE CTL TWR PERSONNEL. THE TWR RPTED TO THE PLT THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY RETRACTED AND THEY COULD SEE NO INDICATION THAT THE GEAR OR GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN (THE RPT WAS THAT THEY COULD SEE A 'SMOOTH BELLY'). THE PLT ACCEPTED THIS RPT AND RETURNED TO THE FLT PLAN HEADED FOR AUS. DURING THE CLBOUT FROM PWA; ENRTE AGAIN TO AUS; THE FLT WAS CLRED TO CLB TO 9000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE PLT NOTED THAT; IN ADDITION TO THE STILL-ILLUMINATED NOSE GEAR LIGHT; THE OIL TEMP GAUGE WAS SHOWING MAX OIL TEMP (RED LINE) AND THAT OIL PRESSURE WAS JUST IN OR AT THE YELLOW CAUTION ZONE. AT THIS POINT THE PLT AGAIN REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC BACK TO PWA FOR A FULL-STOP LNDG. OKLAHOMA APCH ASKED IF THE PLT INTENDED OR WISHED TO DECLARE AN EMER; AND THE PLT RESPONDED 'NO; THERE IS A NEEDLED PEGGED THAT NEEDED ATTN AND HE JUST WOULD RATHER GET ON THE GND TO SORT IT OUT.' THE FLT WAS HANDED OVER TO PWA TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. THE PLT CYCLED THE GEAR TO DETERMINE IF ALL GEAR WERE IN FACT EXTENDED AND ALSO REQUESTED A VISUAL INSPECTION FROM THE TWR. PWA TWR RPTED TO THE PLT THAT ALL 3 GEAR APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED AND THE PLT RPTED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT; GIVEN THE FALSE INDICATION WHEN RETRACTED. DUE TO THE HIGH OIL TEMP INDICATION; THE PLT DETERMINED THAT IT WAS SAFEST TO LAND AT THAT TIME; SINCE A HIGH OIL TEMP READING COULD BE AN EARLY INDICATION OF IMPENDING ENG FAILURE. THE PLT LANDED THE FLT WITH AS SOFT A TOUCHDOWN AS POSSIBLE; AT XA10; AND THEN NOTED; AS THE NOSE WAS LOWERED; SOUNDS OF THE PROP STRIKING THE RWY. THE PLT RAISED THE NOSE TO STOP THE STRIKING AND BEGAN SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL AND FUEL PUMP. THE PLT RPTED TO THE TWR THAT THERE WAS A NOSE GEAR FAILURE AND IMMINENT COLLAPSE THEN CAREFULLY LOWERED THE NOSE TO THE RWY. THE REMAINING ROLLOUT WAS SHORT. THE PLT THEN TURNED OFF THE ACFT MASTER SWITCH AND EXITED THE PLANE TO ASSIST IN SALVAGE AND RECOVERY.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.