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My Lancair 360 incident pales in comparison to Ron's mishap but I feel compelled to relate this incident to remind ourselves about the perils of being complacent.
Before switching the master switch ON, we all know to make sure that the gear switch is in the DOWN position, right? More so if the builder did not install a safety squat switch, right?
You all know where this is going... I merrily walk in my hanger one beautiful Sunday morning and I wanted to check the fuel level, so I turn the master switch ON. BIZZZZZZZ, CLANG, BANGGGG!!! Yup, the nose gear folded and the nose slams into the ground. Luckily, I had some sense left to immediately switch the master switch off, preventing the rest of the gears from folding and collapsing the entire plane...
My assessment is that I inadvertently hit the gear switch to the up position when I was exiting the plane from a previous flight a day before.
Damage:
a) Prop bent (one side only). Cost: $6,000 (for two used blades, overhauled, zero timed)
b) Lower cowling cracked at several places Cost: $2,000 (body work/paint)
c) Air intake box damaged. Cost: $20 (couple of bids)
It could have been worse. Had the main gears collapsed: bent wing, spar, damaged pitot tube, etc, etc....
Rick Argente
PS Safety squat switch ordered!!!!!!
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