OpenAirDocs.org

19970122002249I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA60600 · Gaithersburg, MD · January 22, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 22, 1997 · 19:10 local
Place
Gaithersburg, MD
Airport
Montgomery County Arpk Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N600JK
Reported as
Piper PA60600
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total1,000 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N600JKRegistered now · Smith AEROSTAR 600S/N 60-0257-104 · Built 1975Airframe modelSmith AEROSTAR 600Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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: pilot was on IFR flight from florence, SC to Gaithersburg, MD. At 2312 UTC he canceled IFR flight plan and proceeded VFR to runway 32. Pilot reported normal approach and touchdown. Shortly after touchdown during rollout he applied brakes and felt slight loss of directional control to left. As the aircraft continued to slow the left turning tendency continued and aircraft remained under control. Aircraft stopped well left of centerline and pilot noticed left main had collapsed outward. He does not recall any wheel brake locking or indication of mechanical left main gear failure. Pilot reported the runway was wet with light rain and possible hydroplane. There were no injuries to the pilot and sole occupant. The aircraft was released and towed from the active runway. Subsequent investigation by inspectors from this office confirmed damage to left main gear, cowling, wheel well, and left engine propeller/damage classified as minor. Pilot maintains routine PA-60 proficiency training and has considerable flight experience in type. Initial investigation will emphasize hydroplane potential and will include visual inspection of runway. Runway is scheduled for maintenance and re-paving. Will coordinate with faa-ado if necessary.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT WAS ON IFR FLIGHT FROM FLORENCE, SC TO GAITHERSBURG, MD. AT 2312 UTC HE CANCELED IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND PROCEEDED VFR TO RUNWAY 32. PILOT REPORTED NORMAL APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING ROLLOUT HE APPLIED BRAKES AND FELT SLIGHT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL TO LEFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SLOW THE LEFT TURNING TENDENCY CONTINUED AND AIRCRAFT REMAINED UNDER CONTROL. AIRCRAFT STOPPED WELL LEFT OF CENTERLINE AND PILOT NOTICED LEFT MAIN HAD COLLAPSED OUTWARD. HE DOES NOT RECALL ANY WHEEL BRAKE LOCKING OR INDICATION OF MECHANICAL LEFT MAIN GEAR FAILURE. PILOT REPORTED THE RUNWAY WAS WET WITH LIGHT RAIN AND POSSIBLE HYDROPLANE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED AND TOWED FROM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION BY INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE CONFIRMED DAMAGE TO LEFT MAIN GEAR, COWLING, WHEEL WELL, AND LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER/DAMAGE CLASSIFIED AS MINOR. PILOT MAINTAINS ROUTINE PA-60 PROFICIENCY TRAINING AND HAS CONSIDERABLE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN TYPE. INITIAL INVESTIGATION WILL EMPHASIZE HYDROPLANE POTENTIAL AND WILL INCLUDE VISUAL INSPECTION OF RUNWAY. RUNWAY IS SCHEDULED FOR MAINTENANCE AND RE-PAVING. WILL COORDINATE WITH FAA-ADO IF NECESSARY.