19971019033579I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA28RT201 · Oxford, CT · October 19, 1997

Date: October 19, 1997 · 17:15 local
Place: Oxford, CT
Airport: Waterbury-Oxford
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2083G
Reported as: Piper PA28RT201
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360C1C6
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 644 total16 in this make and model16 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: flight originated out of dxr, practiced some holding at oxc at 3500' then did touch and go landings. On 5th approach to rwy 18, performed "gumps", check on downwind and verified "3 green". On final for some "dumb reason that I can't explain, instead of putting in the last notch of flaps, I operated the gear switch and before I realized what I had done, the airplane was on the ground". I had been flying a CE-172 recently where the flap selector switch is on the instrument panel, not a handle between the seats. "I did it out of reflex rather than thought." Admitted doing a gear up a year before in a Cessna.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: FLIGHT ORIGINATED OUT OF DXR, PRACTICED SOME HOLDING AT OXC AT 3500' THEN DID TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. ON 5TH APPROACH TO RWY 18, PERFORMED "GUMPS", CHECK ON DOWNWIND AND VERIFIED "3 GREEN". ON FINAL FOR SOME "DUMB REASON THAT I CAN'T EXPLAIN, INSTEAD OF PUTTING IN THE LAST NOTCH OF FLAPS, I OPERATED THE GEAR SWITCH AND BEFORE I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GROUND". I HAD BEEN FLYING A CE-172 RECENTLY WHERE THE FLAP SELECTOR SWITCH IS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, NOT A HANDLE BETWEEN THE SEATS. "I DID IT OUT OF REFLEX RATHER THAN THOUGHT." ADMITTED DOING A GEAR UP A YEAR BEFORE IN A CESSNA.