Amateur-built Rutan Defiant 40 N23TR accident near Phoenix, Arizona

Probable cause

The failure of the pilot to ensure that the landing gear extension handle was firmly placed in the down position prior to landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that while on base leg he initiated a landing check and lowered the nose landing gear. Following initial touchdown and immediately upon placing weight on the nose gear, the nose of the airplane settled to the ground and the nose gear handle quickly popped out of the down position. During a postaccident examination of the airplane, a Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector reported that the nose gear may not have been "positively" down and locked as witnessed by the alignment/witness marks. The inspector stated that when placing the gear handle down, but not “hard,” the gear indication could appear to be down and locked, but the gear could actually not be in the down and locked position. The inspector added that during the examination the gear system was operated several times. Each time if the gear handle was not placed down “firmly and hard” the alignment marks were not indicating a “SAFE” condition. The pilot further added that the mechanical alignment arrows are down by the right ankle of the pilot. In this location, an arrow misalignment is extremely difficult to perceive and the nose gear could easily be placed in "transition" vice down and locked. The pilot reported that he has since redesigned the nose gear down-and-locked indicator to be more easily viewed.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR10LA219 for the full record.