N321TR

Riggs Skyraider 1 Fatal injury — operator not yet resolved

ATA 3260

PROBLEM OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 135 LEG FROM PITTSBURGH NORTHEAST TO TETERBORO, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH JUST AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR THE RNAV 19 APPROACH. ON EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR AT GLIDESLOPE INTERCEPT, PILOT NOTED THAT THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. PILOT TESTED THE BULB BY PUSHING THE INDICATOR AND CONFIRMED THAT THE BULB WAS GOOD. PILOT THEN RECYCLED THE GEAR SINCE AN INDICATION PROBLEM SEEMED PROBABLE AND THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. PILOT INFORMED TOWER AND TOWER AUTHORIZED A LOW PASS OVER THE TOWER FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION. TOWER CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY DOWN. PILOT NOTED THAT BEHAVIOR OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE NOSE GEAR BEING DOWN (SOUND AND FEEL). PILOT CONFIRMED THAT NO SPECIFIC EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WAS AVAILABLE FOR THIS ISSUE AND THAT THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WAS NOT PRUDENT OR NEEDED. PILOT BRIEFED THE PASSENGERS ABOUT THE SITUATION, ENSURED THAT THEIR SEAT BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES WERE ON SECURELY. AIRCRAFT CIRCLED IN THE AIRPORT PATTERN AND WAS CLEARED TO LAND. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS SOON AS THE AIRCRAFT LANDED, THE NOSE GEAR LIGHT RE-ILLUMINATED AND IT STAYED ON THROUGHOUT THE TAXI TO THE RAMP. MAINTENANCE WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT GEAR WAS FULLY DOWN AND LOCKED AND THREE LIGHTS REMAINED ON AT ALL TIMES AFTER LANDING. AIRCRAFT WAS PUT IN FOR MAINTENANCE TO CHECK DOWNLOCK SENSOR/SWITCH ADJUSTMENT ON THE NOSE GEAR.

ATA 5610

ON 4/14/2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:10 PM WHILE FLYING AN EMPTY PART 91 LEG FROM KSBN TO KABE AT FL230 WITH ONLY THE PIC ON BOARD, THE PILOT HEARD A "BANG" SOUND AND OBSERVED THAT THE LEFT WINDSHIELD WAS SUDDENLY EXTENSIVELY CRACKED. NO PRESSURIZATION LOSS WAS EXPERIENCED. NO GLASS FRAGMENTS DETACHED FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT INITIALLY THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A BIRD OR HAIL STRIKE BUT QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A RANDOM FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE INNER WINDSHIELD PANE. WINDSHIELD HEAT WAS ON AT THE TIME. FORWARD VISION THROUGH THE LEFT WINDSHIELD WAS SIGNIFICANTLY COMPROMISED SO THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY MOVED TO THE RIGHT SEAT FOR BETTER VISIBILITY. THE PILOT HAD PRIOR TRAINING REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND KNEW IT WAS A KNOWN POTENTIAL FAILURE PROBLEM. HE CONSULTED THE FLIGHT MANUAL CHECKLISTS WHICH SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT IT WAS THE INNER PANE OF THE LEFT WINDSHIELD THAT HAD CRACKED AND THAT THE OUTER PANE WAS FULLY INTACT. PER THE FLIGHT MANUAL'S CHECKLIST, THE PILOT LOWERED THE DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE BELOW 4 PSI BY BOTH DESCENDING TO A LOWER ALTITUDE AND CHANGING THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION ALTITUDE SETTING. THE PILOT ELECTED NOT TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT SINCE HIS VISION WAS NOT RESTRICTED WHILE FLYING FROM THE COPILOT SEAT, THE OUTER PANE WAS UNAFFECTED, THE AIRCRAFT'S PERFORMANCE AND SYSTEMS CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THERE WAS INCLEMENT WEATHER IN THE VICINITY AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WHICH ALSO WAS A FACTOR IN THE PILOT'S DECISION TO NOT LAND AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOT COMPLETED A NORMAL DESCENT AND APPROACH AND AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT KABE.