The private pilot stated that, while on a cross-country flight, he noted that the Cessna 182 was losing electrical power and decided to make a precautionary landing near Lake City, Florida.
He attempted to extend the landing gear and advised air traffic control of the emergency before all electrical power was lost.
Since electrical power was lost before the landing gear extension cycle completed, he was unable to verify that the landing gear was down and locked in place, as the gear position indicator light would not illuminate due to the loss of electrical power.
He also referenced the manufacturer’s emergency checklist for “Landing Without a Positive Indication of Gear Locking” and visually confirmed that the gear appeared to be fully extended.
Upon touching down on the runway, the main landing gear collapsed, and the nose gear remained extended.
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the cause of the electrical power failure was the main electrical contactor, which had shorted out internally and burned. The part was original to the airplane and had accrued about 3,235 total hours.
The landing gear was extended and retracted by hydraulic actuators operated by an electrically-driven hydraulic pump.
It is likely that, when the pilot moved the landing gear selector to the down position, the extension cycle did not complete due to the loss of electrical power, resulting in insufficient hydraulic pressure to fully extend and lock the gear.
The airplane was equipped with an emergency gear extension handle that would have allowed the pilot to manually complete the extension, however the checklist that the pilot used did not instruct the pilot to manually lower and lock the gear.
If the checklist had included the use of the emergency landing gear extension procedure, the pilot would likely have been able to manually increase hydraulic pressure in the system and avoid a gear collapse on landing.
Probable cause: Internal failure of the main electrical contactor, which resulted in a complete loss of electrical power and an inability to extend the landing gear through normal means.
NTSB Identification: ERA16LA190
This May 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Very frustrating incident. That particular emergency checklist (Landing without positive indication of gear locking) seems to be totally illogical. The first item is “1. Before Landing Check — COMPLETE.”. Well, that should send you to the Normal Before Landing checklist where the fourth item is “4. Landing Gear — CHECK (observe main gear down and green indicator light illuminated.). It was not possible to complete that item on the normal checklist, so that should automatically stop the pilot from completing that emergency checklist and refer him to the other emergency checklist ‘Landing Gear Fails to Extend’ which includes the procedure for pumping the gear down. I would need an explanation from Cessna on the logic of the ‘Landing without positive indication’ checklist.
As was mentioned by others, training is key. I always included manual extensions and the checklist is even included near the gear hand pump. It’s a very simple system but it is critical that the trainee is totally proficient and comfortable with the procedure before becoming PIC. One key aspect that I hope was always remembered is that when manually extending, resistance would be felt in the handle after the gear reached full extension and the green gear down light illuminated, so pumping the handle until that familiar resistance was felt could always be a step completed to do everything possible (I suppose it could be jammed somewhere before that but you could probably see that from the main gear position).
As a Cessna dealer mechanic in the ’70’s, a part of every 100 hour or annual inspection of any RH aircraft consisted of jacking the aircraft and witnessing a gear swing, and assuring that all limit switches functioned. I can’t recall what the inspection regimen stated, but I also made sure that the emergency extension system worked, be it an R182, 210, 337 or any 400 series. It just made common sense. In the same vein, any pilot checking out in an RG aircraft should conduct an emergency extension. Makes sense. After all, it is one more system installed in the aircraft.
I’m tempted to go along with some of the comments made here (to the tune of: the checklist was deficient in that it didn’t state to use the emergency pump, and the pilot should have known how to do an emergency gear extension).
OK, but shouldn’t one PRACTICE using the emergency gear extension pump at some point? If I’m a CFI (I’m not, for the record), wouldn’t it be a good idea to take the pilot up and state something to the effect of: “OK, you just lost all electrical power. I want you to extend the landing gear.”
Flight instructors get tired of reaching over, pulling the carb heat and the power to idle, and telling a student to make an emergency landing. Wouldn’t getting a student to make an emergency gear extension be a bit more fun?
John Schmidt
Read the full NTSB report. The pilot followed the checklist. The checklist was deficient. And the NTSB stopped short of stating this.
The pilot had selected gear down. The gear appeared to be fully extended, but the green light didn’t come on.
The checklist for this condition didn’t say to use the manual pump handle to ensure full extension — it really should have. And many of you here would have used that handle as would I. But apparently this pilot’s complex experience was only with this R182 (from a fast read of the full report).
The more complex aircraft you fly, the more understanding one has of why one does this or that.
I can’t say, nor can I remember what the POH emergency procedures say or don’t say, but how could a pilot be checked out to fly an R182 and not know what that extendable handle between the seats is for?
This is a classic example of a pilot not properly schooled in the workings of the aircraft that they are operating, an all to common and familiar problem.
When the manufacturer’s own checklist doesn’t include the proper procedure, that’s kind of a problem too.
Sorry, just because the mfgr might have not been clear, any pilot should know, that without power, the casters don’t go down and should use the manual system, if he did not know about the manual system, with or without a checklist, he had no business being in the airplane in the first place
EXACTLY.
I have never ever in my life owned an RG airplane but even I know that they have a way to manually extend the gear.
And if some of them don’t that wouldn’t stop me from LOOKING for the way to extend the gear.
I might never find it I’d certainly spend some time trying.
Typical situation of a pilot that doesn’t know what keeps the prop turning or keeps it in the air.