# Incident 19960904035589I: Piper PA31350, Billings, MT, September 4, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 4, 1996, 18:20 local time
- Place: Billings, MT
- Airport: Billings Logan International
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: BTJA
- Location: 45.8078° N, 108.5435° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BILLINGS LOGAN INTL (BIL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8078&lon=-108.5435&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7694L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7694L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,521 total, 300 in this make and model, 192 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960904035589I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: ON 0904-96 AT 18:20 MDT, PIPER MODEL PA-31-350, N7694L, OWNED BY BUTTE AVIATION, INC., WAS IN LEVEL FLIGHT UNDER IMC CONDITIONS, ON A FAR PART 135 CARGO MISSION FROM LEWISTOWN, MONTANA, TO BILLINGS, MONTANA. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT GEAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON DURING FLIGHT WITHOUT HIS INPUT. THIS CAUSED AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. DURING APPROACH, THE GEAR EXTENDED PROPERLY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT THE BILLINGS, MONTANA AIRPORT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE REPORTED CABLE ASSEMBLY P/N 55416-002 WAS FRAYED CAUSING THE GEAR WARNING SYSTEM TO IMPROPERLY FUNCTION. THE CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE. NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED.

## Other reports on N7694L (4)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19960202006979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960202006979I), Feb 2, 1996: Piper PA31350 (N7694L), Glendive, MT, Minor damage. Narrative: on February 2, 1996, at about 08:30 MST, Piper PA-31 operated by butte aviation, inc., had a nose gear collapse during landing rollout on a FAR 135…
- [Incident 19860125021219I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860125021219I), Jan 25, 1986: Piper PA31350 (N7694L), Cumberland, MD, Minor damage. Engine quit due to fuel starvation. Landed gear up. Did not switch to tank with fuel or use crossfeed.
- [Incident 19820916060839I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820916060839I), Sep 16, 1982: Piper PA31350 (N7694L), Cumberland, MD, Minor damage. Gear collapsed on landing. Pilot used emergency hand pump. Unable to lower gear. Nose gear flex-line had ruptured.
- [Accident 19770404013429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19770404013429A), Apr 4, 1977: Piper PA31350 (N7694L), Latrobe, PA, Substantial damage. Cabin & cockpit lgts dimmed,beacon & flashing strobe lgts on.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.