19960724027709I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA34200 · Stockton, CA · July 24, 1996

Date: July 24, 1996 · 11:48 local
Place: Stockton, CA
Airport: Stockton Metropolitan
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1508G
Reported as: Piper PA34200
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,086 total90 in this make and model211 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: while approaching to land at the tracy airport (036) the pilot was unable to get a gear down and locked indication. Pilot elected to fly to the Stockton airport (sck) due to crash crews being available on the airport. Pilot landed aircraft gear up with engines stopped to minimize damage. During the retrieval of the aircraft from the runway it was discovered that the bolt holding the shimmy damper on the nose gear was the improper type and had caused the nose gear to remain in the up position. Investigation failed to determine person or party that had installed this bolt. SDR filed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE APPROACHING TO LAND AT THE TRACY AIRPORT (036) THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO GET A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION. PILOT ELECTED TO FLY TO THE STOCKTON AIRPORT (SCK) DUE TO CRASH CREWS BEING AVAILABLE ON THE AIRPORT. PILOT LANDED AIRCRAFT GEAR UP WITH ENGINES STOPPED TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE. DURING THE RETRIEVAL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BOLT HOLDING THE SHIMMY DAMPER ON THE NOSE GEAR WAS THE IMPROPER TYPE AND HAD CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO REMAIN IN THE UP POSITION. INVESTIGATION FAILED TO DETERMINE PERSON OR PARTY THAT HAD INSTALLED THIS BOLT. SDR FILED.