PA32 NOSE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; EMER LNDG WAS CONDUCTED.

2007-12 · NASA ASRS report 766286

Date: 2007-12 · Aircraft: PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga/6X · Phase: approach

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

PA32 NOSE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; EMER LNDG WAS CONDUCTED.

Narrative

ON FINAL APCH AND EXTENDING THE LNDG GEAR; THERE WAS A GEAR WARNING LIGHT AND HORN ACTIVATED AS WELL AS NO GREEN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WE CALLED THE TWR TO ADVISE ABOUT THE LNDG GEAR PROB AND REQUESTED A GAR AND VISUAL INSPECTION BY THE TWR WHILE WE WORKED ON THE PROB. I WAS CLOSE TO THE RWY AND HIGH AS I WENT BY THE TWR WITH ENOUGH SPD TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE TWR TO CONFIRM THE GEAR STATUS. HOWEVER; THE TWR RPTED THAT THEY THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. ON THIS FIRST APCH TO LAND I TRIED TO RECYCLE THE LNDG GEAR SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESULTS. THE RED GEAR WARNING LIGHT REMAINED LIT AND INDICATED TO ME THAT THE GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDING OR RETRACTING. I CONTINUED DOWNWIND ON THE FIRST GAR AND CHKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND FOUND THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED. WE RESET THE BREAKER AND TRIED TO RECYCLE THE GEAR BOTH UP AND DOWN -- GEAR WARNING STILL LIT. I TRIED TO ACTIVATE THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC SEVERAL TIMES AND GOT THE 2 MAIN GEAR INDICATED GREEN LIGHTS BUT NOT ANY GREEN LIGHT FOR THE NOSE GEAR. I CHKED THE GREEN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS TO MAKE SURE ALL LIGHT BULBS WERE OPERATIONAL; THEY WERE. WE REFERRED TO THE POH IN THE COCKPIT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS FOLLOWING THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROCS PRECISELY AND I WAS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MY 100 KT AIRSPD. THE RECOMMENDED GEAR EXTENSION SPD IS 80 KTS. I WAS CLRED TO LAND A SECOND TIME AND ELECTED TO DO ANOTHER GAR AND SLOW PASS BY THE TWR FOR ANOTHER VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE LNDG GEAR. THE TWR ADVISED THAT THE MAIN GEAR LOOKED DOWN AND NORMAL BUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED. I ELECTED TO LAND ON THE NEXT APCH. I ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC ANOTHER 4 TIMES AT 80 KTS WITH NO APPARENT EFFECT ON THE NOSE GEAR EXTENSION PROB. I ALSO TRIED TO CYCLE THE GEAR WITH THE ELECTRIC LEVER AND THE BREAKER POPPED OUT. I PULLED OUT THE EMER GEAR ACTIVATION KNOB AND WE TRIED BOUNCING THE NOSE UP AND DOWN AT UNDER 80 KTS AND TAIL WALKING WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS TO NO AVAIL. WE NEVER GOT ANY NOSE GEAR GREEN LIGHT. THE TWR ASKED IF I WANTED TO LAND ON RWY XXL AS THEY WERE CALLING OUT EMER EQUIP. WE DECLINED RWY XXL AND REQUESTED RWY XXR TO AVOID CONGESTING THE MAIN RWY AS I FELT COMFORTABLE TO LAND RWY XXR. THE TWR HANDED ME OVER TO APCH AND I PROCEEDED S ON VECTORS WHILE THE EMER EQUIP WAS ASSEMBLED. THE TWR FINALLY CLRED ME FOR THE THIRD AND LAST APCH TO LAND. VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 10 MI; VMC AND FEW CLOUDS AT 3000 FT. WX WAS NO FACTOR. I TOUCHED DOWN AT 75 KTS; CUT OFF THE ENG; FUEL AND ELECTRIC; AND ROLLED OUT IN ABOUT 800 FT.

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

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