# Incident 19970414011449I: Piper PA31325, Minneapolis, MN, April 14, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 14, 1997, 16:54 local time
- Place: Minneapolis, MN
- Airport: Minneapolis-St Paul International-Wold
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: BDBA
- Location: 44.9800° N, 93.2638° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Minneapolis, MN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9800&lon=-93.2638&mi=10
- Aircraft: N75CP, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N75CP-2010-09-27) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-325 (registry code 7103105, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-325) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31325
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540F2BD
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 22 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970414011449I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: PILOT MICHAEL DEJONG WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF AIRCRAFT N75CP, ON A TRIP TO FARGO, ND. WHEN THE PILOT SELECTED THE GEAR DOWN ON APPROACH TO FARGO HE DID NOT OBSERVE THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED. HE CYCLED THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT A GREEN INDICATION. HE THEN SELECTED THE GEAR BACK UP AND RETURNED TO MINNEAPOLIS, MN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT AN INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTING THE LEFT MAINGEAR, THE DOWNLOCK HOOK WAS NOT ENGAGING THE OVERCENTER CAM DUE TO A FROZEN ACTUATING ROD END. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION DUE TO THE PROGRESSIVE INSPECTION PROGRAM NOT BEING COMPLETED WITHIN 12 CALENDAR MONTHS. THE OPERATION OF THIS UNAIRWORTHY AIRCRAFT RESULTED IN VIOLATION OF TITLE 14 CFR SECTION 91.7 BY NOT FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENT'S SET FORTH IN 14 CFR SECTION 91.409(D).

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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