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19950926046439I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA32R301 · Auburn, IN · September 26, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 26, 1995 · 15:00 local
Place
Auburn, IN
Airport
De Kalb County Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8439B
Reported as
Piper PA32R301
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1G5D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
124 total40 in this make and model48 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: block 35: pilot made a VFR approach and landed at the Auburn, Indiana, dekalb county airport (07C). Aircraft touched down on belly and slid to a stop on R27. Pilot indicated that he had extended the landing gear during his prelanding check and during the flare "heard the 'gear in transition' warning buzzer come on". He further indicated that by the time he saw the light the airplane was beginning to scrape on the runway. Post incident inspection of the aircraft revealed no mechanical or electrical problems that would have prevented normal extension of the landing gear when the landing gear switch was selected to the "down" position. privacy data omitted Block 36: on September 26, 1995, at 1500 EST a Piper saratoga, PA-32R-301, N8439B, registered to vintage archonics, inc., 8205 lima road, fort wayne, Indiana, 46818, and operated by marvin l. bok (PIC), privacy data omitted landed at the Auburn, Indiana, dekalb airport (07C) with the landing gear in the retracted position. VFR weather conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the belly and propeller. Mr. Bok, the only occupant, was uninjured. Mr. Bok possessed a private pilot's certificate with airplane single engine land category and class ratings. The flight originated in fort wayne, Indiana (fwa) just a few minutes prior to this incident. Mr. Bok indicated that he had extended the landing gear while on downwind by going through "gumps". Mr. Bok stated further that as he was flaring to land he "heard the gear in transition warning buzzer come on. By the time I saw the light,the airplane was beginning to scrape on the runway". Subsequent investigation by maintenance personnel at the scene the next day resulted in the landing gear operating normally while up on jacks. The pilot inlet of the automatic extension system was plugged with debris, preventing it's normal function in the automatic mode. Mr. Bok has been sent a letter requesting a re-examination of his private pilot's certificate. Mr. Bok called on 02-05-96 stating that he has, since the incident acquired an instrument airplane rating, and that maintenance personnel from jackson, Michigan have found some problems with the hydraulic system that could have caused the premature retraction of the landing gear at Auburn. Requested written details regarding additional training and testing of Mr. Bok since the incident, as well as written documentation regarding additional mechanical irregularities. privacy data omitted Incident closed 02/09/96.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: BLOCK 35: PILOT MADE A VFR APPROACH AND LANDED AT THE AUBURN, INDIANA, DEKALB COUNTY AIRPORT (07C). AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON BELLY AND SLID TO A STOP ON R27. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR DURING HIS PRELANDING CHECK AND DURING THE FLARE "HEARD THE 'GEAR IN TRANSITION' WARNING BUZZER COME ON". HE FURTHER INDICATED THAT BY THE TIME HE SAW THE LIGHT THE AIRPLANE WAS BEGINNING TO SCRAPE ON THE RUNWAY. POST INCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR WHEN THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS SELECTED TO THE "DOWN" POSITION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BLOCK 36: ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1995, AT 1500 EST A PIPER SARATOGA, PA-32R-301, N8439B, REGISTERED TO VINTAGE ARCHONICS, INC., 8205 LIMA ROAD, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, 46818, AND OPERATED BY MARVIN L. BOK (PIC), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED AT THE AUBURN, INDIANA, DEKALB AIRPORT (07C) WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. VFR WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BELLY AND PROPELLER. MR. BOK, THE ONLY OCCUPANT, WAS UNINJURED. MR. BOK POSSESSED A PRIVATE PILOT'S CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND CATEGORY AND CLASS RATINGS. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA (FWA) JUST A FEW MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. MR. BOK INDICATED THAT HE HAD EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR WHILE ON DOWNWIND BY GOING THROUGH "GUMPS". MR. BOK STATED FURTHER THAT AS HE WAS FLARING TO LAND HE "HEARD THE GEAR IN TRANSITION WARNING BUZZER COME ON. BY THE TIME I SAW THE LIGHT,THE AIRPLANE WAS BEGINNING TO SCRAPE ON THE RUNWAY". SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AT THE SCENE THE NEXT DAY RESULTED IN THE LANDING GEAR OPERATING NORMALLY WHILE UP ON JACKS. THE PILOT INLET OF THE AUTOMATIC EXTENSION SYSTEM WAS PLUGGED WITH DEBRIS, PREVENTING IT'S NORMAL FUNCTION IN THE AUTOMATIC MODE. MR. BOK HAS BEEN SENT A LETTER REQUESTING A RE-EXAMINATION OF HIS PRIVATE PILOT'S CERTIFICATE. MR. BOK CALLED ON 02-05-96 STATING THAT HE HAS, SINCE THE INCIDENT ACQUIRED AN INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE RATING, AND THAT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FROM JACKSON, MICHIGAN HAVE FOUND SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE PREMATURE RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR AT AUBURN. REQUESTED WRITTEN DETAILS REGARDING ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND TESTING OF MR. BOK SINCE THE INCIDENT, AS WELL AS WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION REGARDING ADDITIONAL MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INCIDENT CLOSED 02/09/96.