19950113003429I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA32R300 · Sturgis, SD · January 13, 1995

Date: January 13, 1995 · 05:30 local
Place: Sturgis, SD
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N37670
Reported as: Piper PA32R300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,441 total1,700 in this make and model49 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: departed airport at 0530 in darkness. At 1000' AGL attempted to turn off landing light but switched off electrical master by mistake. Manually extended gear at 100 KIAS vs. 87 max KIAS. Due to no electrical power, could not extend gear electrically or operate radios. Pilot was in a hurry to land plane before timed airport lights turned off. Mismanaged master electrical switch. Improper emergency check list use.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DEPARTED AIRPORT AT 0530 IN DARKNESS. AT 1000' AGL ATTEMPTED TO TURN OFF LANDING LIGHT BUT SWITCHED OFF ELECTRICAL MASTER BY MISTAKE. MANUALLY EXTENDED GEAR AT 100 KIAS VS. 87 MAX KIAS. DUE TO NO ELECTRICAL POWER, COULD NOT EXTEND GEAR ELECTRICALLY OR OPERATE RADIOS. PILOT WAS IN A HURRY TO LAND PLANE BEFORE TIMED AIRPORT LIGHTS TURNED OFF. MISMANAGED MASTER ELECTRICAL SWITCH. IMPROPER EMERGENCY CHECK LIST USE.