# Incident 19970418013319I: Piper PA32R300, Lincolnton, NC, April 18, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 18, 1997, 18:30 local time
- Place: Lincolnton, NC
- Airport: Lincoln County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4831° N, 81.1615° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LINCOLN COUNTY RGNL (IPJ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4831&lon=-81.1615&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8375C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8375C) (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
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 186 total, 5 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970418013319I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE: PIPER LANCE N8375C DEPARTED HICKORY REGIONAL AIRPORT (HKY) HICKORY, NC UNDER IFR, TO GRAND STAND AIRPORT (CRE), NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC. WHILE UNDER CHARLOTTE ATCT CONTROL THE FRONT DOOR TOP LATCH OPENED. WHILE THE LOWER LATCH KEPT THE DOOR CLOSED, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE NOISE AS AIR RUSHED OUT THE NORMALLY SEALED AREA AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR. THE LOW PRESSURE AREA AROUND THE DOOR PREVENTED IT FROM BEING PULLED CLOSED IN FLIGHT, AND THE PILOT OPTED TO LAND AT NEARBY LINCOLN COUNTY AIRPORT (IPJ). HIS PLAN WAS TO LAND, CLOSE THE DOOR, AND THEN TAKEOFFF AND RESUME FLIGHT. WHEN THE SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 23 AT IPJ THE LANDING GEAR WAS STILL RETRACTED. SKIDDING TO A STOP ON THE ASPHALT SURFACE CURLED THE PROPELLER BLADES, CAUSED MINOR ALUMINUM METAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE, AND MINOR IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE FULLY EXTENDED FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR, PLACED ON JACKS, AND THE GEAR CYCLED TESTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR - AIRWORTHINESS. THE LANDING GEAR AND ASSOCIATED WARNING SYSTEMS SEEMED TO FUCTION NORMALLY. THIS INCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR, PLACED ON JACKS, AND THE GEAR CYCLED TESTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN FAA AVIATIONSAFETY INSPECTOR-AIRWORTHINESS. THE LANDING GEAR AND ASSOCIATED WARNING SYSTEMS SEEMED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

## Other reports on N8375C (1)

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

- [Incident 20121026025061I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121026025061I), Oct 26, 2012: Piper PA-32R-300 (N8375C), Greensboro, NC, Minor damage. Pilot overnighted at Greensboro, NC Pti Airport and sustained minor rudder damage by an unknown person.

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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