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Too high a sink rate results in hard touchdown, a go around and gear failure followed by a partial gear up landing at long beach, ca.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 482347 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200008 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lgb.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lgb.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around landing : touch and go |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival : vfr |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 118 flight time total : 330 flight time type : 33 |
| ASRS Report | 482347 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear indication other controllerb other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : executed go around flight crew : landed in emergency condition other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
As the aircraft was over the runway on the last portion of final approach (immediately prior to the last portion of the flare), I noticed that the aircraft began to sink at a greater rate than was appropriate or normal for the airspeed, power and altitude. As a result, I attempted to increase the nose attitude in order to assist in executing a successful landing while keeping the power in for landing. This did not seem to arrest the descent rate and I then increased the power to go around. The sink rate did not reduce sufficiently enough to overcome the downdraft and stop the main gear hitting the runway with a degree of force. The combination of the increased power, aircraft attitude and impact of the main gear on the runway allowed for a straight transition to going around. A low approach in view of the tower confirmed a problem with the left main gear (that it was dangling and swaying limply from the aircraft). This was also confirmed by virtue of the inability of the gear to retract, the gear warning indicator and a right yawing tendency. After over 1 hour of burning and xferring fuel from the left tank, shifting weight to the right side of the plane, considering advice from experienced people on the ground, briefing the passenger and rehearsing the procedures to execute a 2/3 gear landing. I landed the plane on runway 7R (to have a right crosswind) with what was considered to be minimal damage to aircraft in light of the situation (bent flap due to limp undercarriage and some scraping of aileron trailing edge). The propellers were feathered on flare and engine and electrics secured. I believe the decision to go around on the original approach, at the time I made it, assisted the airplane in continuing flight in spite of the sheared left gear strut. A valuable lesson lies within the incident -- that as soon as one feels there is a possibility of a smooth, safe landing being compromised for any reason -- do not hesitate to immediately go around.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TOO HIGH A SINK RATE RESULTS IN HARD TOUCHDOWN, A GAR AND GEAR FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL GEAR UP LNDG AT LONG BEACH, CA.
Narrative: AS THE ACFT WAS OVER THE RWY ON THE LAST PORTION OF FINAL APCH (IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE LAST PORTION OF THE FLARE), I NOTICED THAT THE ACFT BEGAN TO SINK AT A GREATER RATE THAN WAS APPROPRIATE OR NORMAL FOR THE AIRSPD, PWR AND ALT. AS A RESULT, I ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE THE NOSE ATTITUDE IN ORDER TO ASSIST IN EXECUTING A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WHILE KEEPING THE PWR IN FOR LNDG. THIS DID NOT SEEM TO ARREST THE DSCNT RATE AND I THEN INCREASED THE PWR TO GO AROUND. THE SINK RATE DID NOT REDUCE SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE DOWNDRAFT AND STOP THE MAIN GEAR HITTING THE RWY WITH A DEG OF FORCE. THE COMBINATION OF THE INCREASED PWR, ACFT ATTITUDE AND IMPACT OF THE MAIN GEAR ON THE RWY ALLOWED FOR A STRAIGHT TRANSITION TO GOING AROUND. A LOW APCH IN VIEW OF THE TWR CONFIRMED A PROB WITH THE L MAIN GEAR (THAT IT WAS DANGLING AND SWAYING LIMPLY FROM THE ACFT). THIS WAS ALSO CONFIRMED BY VIRTUE OF THE INABILITY OF THE GEAR TO RETRACT, THE GEAR WARNING INDICATOR AND A R YAWING TENDENCY. AFTER OVER 1 HR OF BURNING AND XFERRING FUEL FROM THE L TANK, SHIFTING WT TO THE R SIDE OF THE PLANE, CONSIDERING ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED PEOPLE ON THE GND, BRIEFING THE PAX AND REHEARSING THE PROCS TO EXECUTE A 2/3 GEAR LNDG. I LANDED THE PLANE ON RWY 7R (TO HAVE A R XWIND) WITH WHAT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE MINIMAL DAMAGE TO ACFT IN LIGHT OF THE SIT (BENT FLAP DUE TO LIMP UNDERCARRIAGE AND SOME SCRAPING OF AILERON TRAILING EDGE). THE PROPS WERE FEATHERED ON FLARE AND ENG AND ELECTRICS SECURED. I BELIEVE THE DECISION TO GO AROUND ON THE ORIGINAL APCH, AT THE TIME I MADE IT, ASSISTED THE AIRPLANE IN CONTINUING FLT IN SPITE OF THE SHEARED L GEAR STRUT. A VALUABLE LESSON LIES WITHIN THE INCIDENT -- THAT AS SOON AS ONE FEELS THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF A SMOOTH, SAFE LNDG BEING COMPROMISED FOR ANY REASON -- DO NOT HESITATE TO IMMEDIATELY GO AROUND.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.