Piper PA-44-180 Seminole, N39693: Accident occurred May 15, 2019 at Centralia Municipal Airport (KENL), Illinois

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Springfield, Illinois

https://registry.faa.gov/N39693

Location: Centralia, IL
Accident Number: CEN19LA142
Date & Time: 05/15/2019, 1915 CDT
Registration: N39693
Aircraft: Piper PA44
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional 

On May 15, 2019, about 1915 central daylight time, a Piper PA44-180 multi-engine airplane, N39693, registered to Airgo Inc., of Centralia, Illinois, was substantially damaged during a nose-gear up landing at the Centralia Municipal Airport (ENL), Centralia, Illinois. The certified flight instructor and pilot under instruction sustained minor injuries. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area and a flight plan was not filed. The flight originated from ENL about 1630.

According to the flight school, the flight was intended to provide multi-engine instruction. After about 2 hours of uneventful flight, the airplane was returning to land at ENL. While performing the landing checklist, the flight instructor and pilot-under-instruction noticed that the nose landing gear light did not illuminate. Utilizing the landing gear mirror, the flight instructor could see that the landing gear door was open, but could only see the nose landing gear tire partially extended. The airplane was flown to a nearby practice area and the crew performed a landing gear inoperative checklist. The flight instructor attempted to extend the gear with the emergency extension system, but the nose gear did not extend. After talking with his home base about the problem, the flight instructor flew the airplane to a training area to burn off fuel and attempted G-maneuvers to extend the nose landing gear. After no success, the flight instructor returned to ENL and landed with the nose gear up.

The airplane was intentionally landed in a grassy area, parallel to the runway. Upon touchdown, the nose dug into the ground and the airplane flipped inverted. The ground was soft and wet, as it had been raining for several days.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N39693
Model/Series: PA44 180
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Airgo Inc
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: ENL, 534 ft msl
Observation Time: 1915 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 1 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C / 17°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Scattered / 3300 ft agl
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 130°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.95 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: Unknown
Departure Point: Centralia, IL (ENL)
Destination: Centralia, IL (ENL)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  38.515000, -89.091111 (est)