Piper PA-34-200 N55322

Summary

On 21 August 1997 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N55322 was involved in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida, 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

21 August 1997 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Kissimmee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Kissimmee Municipal (ISM)

Coordinates

28.3000, -81.4102

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200

Registration

N55322

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Leesburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA97LA238

Nobody was injured.

a hard landing resulting in a wing contacting the runway. A factor in this accident was the nose landing gear would not extend due to the steering ball being off its track.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After departure the pilot noted that the 'gear unsafe warning light stayed on after [the] gear was retracted.' The pilot said he, 'checked and found [the] circuit breaker for [the] gear hydraulic motor popped.' He reset the circuit breaker and cycled the landing gear down, at which point he noted that 'only 2 green lights illuminated for the main gear.' The nose gear light was out. He then switched bulbs and determined that the bulb was 'good.' He then pulled the emergency gear extension with the gear handle in the down position and he said that he 'still only had 2 green lights for main gear.' The pilot circled the airport due to the problem he was having extending the nose landing gear, and was advised by the tower that that the nose gear appeared to be in midway position. He then made an approach and landing on runway 24. The airplane landed hard on the main landing gear, and a wing struck the ground. The airplane was placed on jacks and the landing gear was examined. The nose gear was extended by hand, it was revealed that the steering ball was outside of its track, causing the nose gear not extend.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.