Universal D-16 N110N

Summary

On 25 September 1997 at about 15:47 local time, a Universal D-16 registered N110N was involved in an accident near Howell, Michigan, United States. 2 people were 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

25 September 1997 at 15:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Howell, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Livingston County (3HE)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Universal D-16

Registration

N110N

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Hudson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA301

Nobody was injured.

the emergency landing gear extension system being impeded by flap extension. Factors contributing to this accident are the instructor pilot's intentional feathering of the airplane's left propeller, the instructor pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane, and insufficient information provided in the pilot's operating handbook warning the operator that extending flaps during emergency gear extension will interrupt hydraulic pressure to the system.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instructor pilot had shut down and secured the airplane's left engine as part of a final checkout flight he was giving to a student, prior to her taking her practical test for a multi-engine rating. During the restart attempt, the propeller did not come out of feather, and the engine would not start. The instructor pilot had to manually extend the landing gear, because the hydraulic pump for the gear was on the left engine. They did not get the three green lights, indicating that the airplane's gear was down and locked. The pilot performed a fly-by during which he was informed that the gear appeared to be down. By the time the instructor pilot and student received this information, they were too far down the runway to land, so they executed a go-around. The instructor pilot then took control of the airplane and brought it in for landing. During the touchdown, the landing gear collapsed. Examination of the emergency landing gear extension system revealed that whenever flaps are selected during the hand pumping process, hydraulic pressure to the emergency landing gear system is interrupted, leaving the gear in an intermediate position. Hydraulic pressure is restored once flap extension/retraction is complete.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.