# Incident 19961015035449I: Piper PA32R300, Ambler, AK, October 15, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 15, 1996, 10:00 local time
- Place: Ambler, AK
- Airport: Ambler
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: FXSC
- Location: 67.1062° N, 157.8572° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at AMBLER (AFM), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=67.1062&lon=-157.8572&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6230J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N6230J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-300 (registry code 7103213, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R300
- People aboard: 7
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 21,000 total, 2,300 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961015035449I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: ON CLIMB OUT FROM AMBLER, AK PILOT HEARD A "CLUNK" NOISE AT ABOUT 2000 FT. EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL, CONTINUED CLIMB-OUT. AT APROX. 6500-7000 FT. FOLLOWING LEVEL-OUT PILOT SAID AIRSPEED WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL. HE SUSPECTED HE MAY HAVE HAD A GEAR HANGING DOWN, SO HE CYCLED THE GEAR AND DID NOT GET A MLG DOWN LIGHT. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO THE FAIRBANKS AIRPORT WHERE FIRE TRUCKS ARE AVAILABLE. WHEN THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED AT FAIRBANKS THE MLG AGAIN DID NOT SHOW DOWN AND LOCKED. HE DID A TWR FLY-BY AND THE TWR PERSONNEL TOLD HIM IT DID NOT APPEAR FULLY DOWN. HE PLANNED TO BOUNCE THIS MAIN GEAR ON THE RUNWAY TO JAR THE MLG DOWN, BUT ON SHORT FINAL AND SLOWER AIRSPEED THE GEAR LOCKED. HE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. INSPECTION OF THE MLG FOUND THE GEAR ACTUATOR AFT ATTACHMENT HAD BROKEN.

## Other reports on N6230J (1)

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

- [Accident 19780511009909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780511009909A), May 11, 1978: Piper PA32RT300 (N6230J), Yucca Valley, CA, Substantial damage. Stolen acft. History of flt unk,acft found damaged in desert. Injurdex presumed.

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.

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