Narrative:
A Learjet 35, N80PG, call sign "Riptide 80", and contracted by the United States Navy, was substantially damaged during landing rollout, following a return to the airport after an unsafe nose landing gear indication at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF), Newport News, Virginia.
Before departure, the pilot and copilot completed a preflight inspection of the airplane and found everything to be normal. After taking off without incident, the flight crew started running the after takeoff checklist and the pilot moved the landing gear selector handle to the up position. The crew then felt and heard a loud "clank" in the nose of the airplane and observed that the red or unsafe nose gear light had illuminated; recycling the landing gear handle had the same result. As the flight crew returned to the departure airport, they selected the landing gear handle to the down position and received three green landing gear down indications and completed the before landing checklist; the air traffic controller advised that the nose landing gear appeared to be straight. During the landing, the airplane touched down on the main wheels first, but once the nosewheel touched down and weight was on the nose landing gear, the airplane suddenly turned sharply 30° to 40° to the left and application of right rudder
did not counter the turn. The airplane then partially traveled off the left side of the runway pavement, its left main landing gear struck a concrete runway edge-light base, then the airplane turned about 180° from its original direction of travel and came to rest on the left side of the runway about 1,500 ft from the end of the runway.
Probable Cause and Findings:
The flight crews inadequate preflight inspection of the nose landing gear strut, which resulted in the nosewheel not being aligned during retraction and the subsequent loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the nose landing gear strut due to inadequate pressure and excessive wear.
Runway mishap
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Tuesday 12 May 2015 |
| Time: | 11:44 |
| Type: |  Learjet 35 |
| Operator: | Phoenix Air Group |
| Registration: | N80PG |
| MSN: | 35-063 |
| First flight: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 11784 |
| Engines: | 2 Garrett TFE731-2-2B |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Total: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Aircraft fate: | Repaired |
| Location: | Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, VA (PHF) ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | Landing (LDG) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, VA (PHF/KPHF), United States of America |
| Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, VA (PHF/KPHF), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | RTD80 |
A Learjet 35, N80PG, call sign "Riptide 80", and contracted by the United States Navy, was substantially damaged during landing rollout, following a return to the airport after an unsafe nose landing gear indication at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF), Newport News, Virginia.
Before departure, the pilot and copilot completed a preflight inspection of the airplane and found everything to be normal. After taking off without incident, the flight crew started running the after takeoff checklist and the pilot moved the landing gear selector handle to the up position. The crew then felt and heard a loud "clank" in the nose of the airplane and observed that the red or unsafe nose gear light had illuminated; recycling the landing gear handle had the same result. As the flight crew returned to the departure airport, they selected the landing gear handle to the down position and received three green landing gear down indications and completed the before landing checklist; the air traffic controller advised that the nose landing gear appeared to be straight. During the landing, the airplane touched down on the main wheels first, but once the nosewheel touched down and weight was on the nose landing gear, the airplane suddenly turned sharply 30° to 40° to the left and application of right rudder
did not counter the turn. The airplane then partially traveled off the left side of the runway pavement, its left main landing gear struck a concrete runway edge-light base, then the airplane turned about 180° from its original direction of travel and came to rest on the left side of the runway about 1,500 ft from the end of the runway.
Probable Cause:
Probable Cause and Findings:
The flight crews inadequate preflight inspection of the nose landing gear strut, which resulted in the nosewheel not being aligned during retraction and the subsequent loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the nose landing gear strut due to inadequate pressure and excessive wear.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Classification:
Gear-up landingRunway mishap
Photos
Map
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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