19961210042659I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Athens, GA · December 10, 1996

Date
December 10, 1996 · 18:20 local
Place
Athens, GA
Airport
Athens/Ben Epps Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N32379
Reported as
Piper PA28R200
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
470 total120 in this make and model60 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: I was practicing soft/short field takeoffs and landings in Athens pattern. On downwind decided to do a simulated engine failure. Picked best glide speed of 100 mph, concentrated on making the runway. On short final someone said "aren't you glad you're not with houston?" I said "houston!!" And that same someone said "yea from the other night." I did not know what they were talking about and proceeded to flare. I noticed I was in ground effect a little longer than normal, initially thinking it was because my approach was 10-15 mph faster than normal & because I had no flaps. I, at that point noticed I had no green lights for gear and touched pavement. I decided not to pull plane back up and risk a stall so I decided to limit my rise with a gear up landing. I landed, acknowledged tower I had gear up landing & turned off master and mags. I then walked out and away from the plane. The above initial statement was written by PIC.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: I WAS PRACTICING SOFT/SHORT FIELD TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN ATHENS PATTERN. ON DOWNWIND DECIDED TO DO A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE. PICKED BEST GLIDE SPEED OF 100 MPH, CONCENTRATED ON MAKING THE RUNWAY. ON SHORT FINAL SOMEONE SAID "AREN'T YOU GLAD YOU'RE NOT WITH HOUSTON?" I SAID "HOUSTON!!" AND THAT SAME SOMEONE SAID "YEA FROM THE OTHER NIGHT." I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT AND PROCEEDED TO FLARE. I NOTICED I WAS IN GROUND EFFECT A LITTLE LONGER THAN NORMAL, INITIALLY THINKING IT WAS BECAUSE MY APPROACH WAS 10-15 MPH FASTER THAN NORMAL & BECAUSE I HAD NO FLAPS. I, AT THAT POINT NOTICED I HAD NO GREEN LIGHTS FOR GEAR AND TOUCHED PAVEMENT. I DECIDED NOT TO PULL PLANE BACK UP AND RISK A STALL SO I DECIDED TO LIMIT MY RISE WITH A GEAR UP LANDING. I LANDED, ACKNOWLEDGED TOWER I HAD GEAR UP LANDING & TURNED OFF MASTER AND MAGS. I THEN WALKED OUT AND AWAY FROM THE PLANE. THE ABOVE INITIAL STATEMENT WAS WRITTEN BY PIC.