ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 215432
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 20 November 2016 |
| Time: | 16:57 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance |
| Owner/operator: | Tanana Air Service |
| Registration: | N4352F |
| MSN: | 32R-7680441 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | McGrath, AK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Shageluk, AK (SHX) |
| Nikolai, AK (FSP) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The on-demand passenger flight was approaching its destination airport when the commercial pilot noted that the two main landing gear extended, but the nose landing gear did not extend and lock. The pilot diverted to a larger airport, where ground personnel verified that the nose landing gear was not down and locked even after the pilot completed the manual gear extension procedure. The pilot elected to land the airplane with the engine off, and he stated that the touchdown was uneventful. He held the airplane’s nose off the runway for several hundred feet; the left main landing gear then collapsed and the nose wheel extended. The airplane slid about 200 ft before coming to rest. A witness reported that the touchdown was smooth and when the left main landing gear collapsed, the airplane gradually slowed to a stop on the runway.
An examination of the airplane revealed that the alternator became inoperative during the flight, and, due to the cold temperatures, the battery was unable to accommodate the electrical load required by the system. In addition, the grease on the nosewheel was thick, which, combined with the cold temperatures, can increase its viscosity and reduce its effectiveness. Because the nose landing gear extends into the relative wind direction, it would be more difficult for it to extend and lock with the low battery power and increased viscosity of the grease. Further, because the landing gear was not in the “up” position when the emergency extension control was activated, the hydraulic fluid had already been released, thus rendering the emergency procedure ineffective. After landing and with a reduction in the relative wind, the gear was able to lock in place; however, the reason for the collapse of the left main landing gear could not be determined. When the alternator and battery were replaced, the airplane was placed on jacks and all three landing gear actuated as designed.
A review of the passenger’s injuries revealed that the fracture of the transverse process of L2 vertebrae was “age-indeterminate,” which means that it could not be definitively determined when the injury occurred.
Probable Cause: The failure of the nose landing gear to extend and lock due to the failure of the alternator and reduced battery power due to the cold ambient temperature, which prohibited the electrically-driven hydraulic pump from supplying adequate hydraulic pressure to extend the nose landing gear. The cause of the left main landing gear collapse could not be determined, as there were no postaccident anomalies or malfunctions found when the landing gear was actuated following replacement of the alternator and battery.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 21 September 2001 | N4352F | Tanana Air Service, Inc. | 0 | Tanana, Alaska | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Sep-2018 18:14 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 16-Sep-2018 18:30 | harro | Updated [Phase, Nature, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation