Piper PA-23 N2291P

Summary

On 8 September 1995 at about 22:35 local time, a Piper PA-23 registered N2291P was involved in an accident near Greeley, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 September 1995 at 22:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Greeley, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Greeley Weld County (GXY)

Coordinates

40.4406, -104.6699

Aircraft

Piper PA-23

Registration

N2291P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95LA383

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY INADVERTENTLY SELECTING A LESS SUITABLE AREA FOR LANDING (THAN THE RUNWAY). FACTORS RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: A MALFUNCTION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR MICRO-SWITCH, WHICH RESULTED IN A FALSE INDICATION THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN-AND-LOCKED, AND ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE SELECTED (GRASS) LANDING AREA BESIDE THE RUNWAY.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER ENTERING THE PATTERN ON RETURN FROM A LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT, THE PILOT COULD NOT GET A DOWN-AND-LOCKED INDICATION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPORT MANAGER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE IN THE DOWN POSITION, AND SUGGESTED THAT HE CHECK THE LIGHT BULB AND CIRCLE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. THE PILOT REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE THEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A GRASS AREA BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. THIS GRASS AREA WAS ROUGH AND UNEVEN. THE LANDING GEAR REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR MICRO-SWITCH WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT. IN THE EVENT OF A NOSE LANDING GEAR UNSAFE INDICATION, THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING PROCEDURES WERE TO CONDUCT A NORMAL FULL FLAP LANDING AND HOLD THE NOSE GEAR FROM TOUCHING DOWN AS LONG AS POSSIBLE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.