19960706032849I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32R-301 · Hohenwald, TN · July 6, 1996

Date: July 6, 1996 · 14:00 local
Place: Hohenwald, TN
Airport: John A Baker Fld Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8359X
Reported as: Piper PA32R301
People aboard: 6
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 108 total40 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N8359XRegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301S/N 32R-8113055 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301 Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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 July 6th, 1996, during a pleasure flight while in approach to landing at OM3 John a. Baker field arpt. I noticed after putting the landing gear in the down position that none of the gear down/locked lights came on. At this time it was noticed that the amp meter showed the alternator wasn't working. After returning to altitude and following through emergency gear down position procedures a normal approach and landing was attempted. Upon touchdown the main gear held but the nose gear failed to lock in the down position and folded on roll out resulting in a nosed in landing. Evaluation revealed a failed bearing in the idler pulley causing loss of tension on the alternator belt resulting in loss of amperage.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON JULY 6TH, 1996, DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT WHILE IN APPROACH TO LANDING AT OM3 JOHN A. BAKER FIELD ARPT. I NOTICED AFTER PUTTING THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION THAT NONE OF THE GEAR DOWN/LOCKED LIGHTS CAME ON. AT THIS TIME IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE AMP METER SHOWED THE ALTERNATOR WASN'T WORKING. AFTER RETURNING TO ALTITUDE AND FOLLOWING THROUGH EMERGENCY GEAR DOWN POSITION PROCEDURES A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE MAIN GEAR HELD BUT THE NOSE GEAR FAILED TO LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION AND FOLDED ON ROLL OUT RESULTING IN A NOSED IN LANDING. EVALUATION REVEALED A FAILED BEARING IN THE IDLER PULLEY CAUSING LOSS OF TENSION ON THE ALTERNATOR BELT RESULTING IN LOSS OF AMPERAGE.