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by Redbird Flight at [date]
Editor’s Note: To focus on post-accident procedures rather than probable cause, this article delves into the actions a solo pilot can take when involved in a non-fatal accident during which s/he receives minor injuries and (let's just say) the cause is out of the pilot’s control.
After flying around the patch a few times on a lazy Sunday afternoon, a solo pilot we’ll call “Skip” departs his aerial playground and heads back to his Class D home airport. Skip raises ATC at the airport to let them know he is 15 miles and inbound. A familiar voice replies with a vector and asks how Skip likes his new retractable-gear ride.
Skip chats with the controller for a minute on the otherwise empty frequency, then, a few minutes later, starts his before-landing checklist. However, he doesn't complete it because he can only get two green gear indicators. The nose gear lamp remains stubbornly red.
A flyby of the tower confirms Skip’s fears. The mains are extended, but there is no sign of even partial nose gear deployment.
After an hour of burning off fuel as a precaution, Skip lines up on the centerline as carefully as possible and executes the softest of soft-field landings. He does great, but there’s no way to gracefully lower the nose of a single-engine piston onto the asphalt.
After a spark-filled “roll out” Skip and his plane grind to a stop. He has a gash over his eyebrow from the initial deceleration upon the nose contacting the ground but is otherwise fine. The prop and undercarriage, not so much.
So, what should Skip do now? The FARs, AOPA, and several law firms offer the following advice.
Get out and get away.
Skip was solo, but if he had passengers, he would have needed to assist them in getting away from the aircraft as well (if it was safe to do so). You may not smell smoke or see fire, but an injured airplane might wait a minute before revealing a fuel leak that ignites.
Depending on the circumstances, check yourself for injury before getting away to ensure you won’t worsen any injuries you or your passengers may have sustained. Otherwise, do so immediately after putting some distance between you and the airplane.
Contact emergency services for help.
You, your airplane, and anything (or anyone) damaged on the ground need immediate attention, even if it isn’t apparent immediately.
Take a breath.
Your mind almost certainly won’t be clear, at least for a few minutes.
Contact family and friends.
You want them to hear your voice giving them the news rather than hearing about it from someone else, even if just a few minutes after the accident. Tell them if you need anything. Now is not the time to be brave and selfless.
Carefully review 49 CFR, Part 830.
It provides specific instructions regarding if you need to report what happened, who you need to contact, and with what information. If you do indeed need to report what happened, AOPA offers an important reminder.
“...remember that in most instances you are only required to make the report to the NTSB, not the FAA. They are two separate entities with two separate jobs to do. The NTSB determines probable causes of accidents in an effort to make sure we do not repeat costly mistakes. The FAA, however, is responsible for enforcement action against pilots who break the regulations or demonstrate a lack of qualification.” AOPA Flight Training Magazine, April 2016
Make any other important calls.
These should include your insurance company and management at your home airport (if they don’t already know what has occurred).
Retrieve your belongings from your airplane.
But only if and when it is safe to do so. Take pictures inside and out so there is a record of the accident, especially the instrument panel and controls exactly as they were when the accident occurred. It’s worth a reminder that you should not store aircraft-related logbooks in your aircraft, so hopefully, you won’t be removing those.
Leave the airplane where and how it is.
Do this unless and until the NTSB says otherwise. The exceptions are in cases where you must move the airplane because it is “necessary to remove persons injured or trapped, to protect the wreckage from further damage, or to protect the public from injury,” per CFR Title 49 Part 830.10.
Consider consulting with legal counsel.
Every aviation law website will shout this from the rooftops. Of course they will. But this is one of those “better safe than sorry” suggestions. An experienced aviation attorney can help you complete an NTSB accident report form (if required).