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19960303013479I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · West Palm Beach, FL · March 3, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 3, 1996 · 14:07 local
Place
West Palm Beach, FL
Airport
Palm Beach International
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
YCKF
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2337M
Reported as
Piper PA23250
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540A1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,971 total4,000 in this make and model210 in the last 90 days
N2337MRegistration cancelled May 8, 1998 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 277954042Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250

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: on March 3, 1996, at 1300 LCL, Piper PA23, N2337M, departed marsh harbor, abaco Bahamas, under FAR part 91 to West Palm Beach, Florida. On approach to pbi, the landing gear was lowered, however, only the right main and nose gear indicated down and locked. Numerous attempts to extend the left gear were made, both in normal and emergency methods. After approximately one hour, the pilot in command discontinued efforts to lower the gear, and elected to land the aircraft with all gears retracted. On final approach, both engines were secured, electric and fuel shut off. The aircraft was landed on runway 31 at pbi, sustaining minor damage. An investigation disclosed that a clevis pin and cotter pin were missing from the left gear outer door actuating rod, causing the door not to open when the landing gear was selected down. A review of the manufacturer's report revealed that the gear door linkages are not identified as an inspection requirement. The clevis pins attaching the door linkages are difficult to access. A malfunction or defect report has been submitted to direct attention to gear door linkage attachments.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MARCH 3, 1996, AT 1300 LCL, PIPER PA23, N2337M, DEPARTED MARSH HARBOR, ABACO BAHAMAS, UNDER FAR PART 91 TO WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. ON APPROACH TO PBI, THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED, HOWEVER, ONLY THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR INDICATED DOWN AND LOCKED. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE LEFT GEAR WERE MADE, BOTH IN NORMAL AND EMERGENCY METHODS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR, THE PILOT IN COMMAND DISCONTINUED EFFORTS TO LOWER THE GEAR, AND ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITH ALL GEARS RETRACTED. ON FINAL APPROACH, BOTH ENGINES WERE SECURED, ELECTRIC AND FUEL SHUT OFF. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED ON RUNWAY 31 AT PBI, SUSTAINING MINOR DAMAGE. AN INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT A CLEVIS PIN AND COTTER PIN WERE MISSING FROM THE LEFT GEAR OUTER DOOR ACTUATING ROD, CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO OPEN WHEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED DOWN. A REVIEW OF THE MANUFACTURER'S REPORT REVEALED THAT THE GEAR DOOR LINKAGES ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AS AN INSPECTION REQUIREMENT. THE CLEVIS PINS ATTACHING THE DOOR LINKAGES ARE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS. A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO DIRECT ATTENTION TO GEAR DOOR LINKAGE ATTACHMENTS.