What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 8, 1999, at 1730 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA24, N7001P, skidded off the left side of runway 23, during a wheels-up landing at the Moore County Airport, in Southern Pines, north carolina. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with a flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and the passenger/pilot were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight originated from wadesboro, north carolina, at 1200. According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, he landed at his first planned refueling stop. After refueling, the pilot continued the flight to newport news, Virginia. Upon arriving in newport news, the pilot entered visual traffic for a full stop landing. During the before landing check, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle, and noticed an unsafe landing gear indication. The pilot completed the emergency landing gear extension procedure, that also failed. The pilot elected to return to north carolina for the landing. While enroute and upon arriving in Southern Pines, the pilot continued to extend the landing. The pilot made a wheels-up landing on runway 23. (.4)the flight departed wadesboro, north carolina, en route to newport news, Virginia, with a planned fuel stop in ahoskie, north carolina. Upon arriving in newport news, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear and noticed an unsafe landing gear indication. Normal and emergency procedures for retraction of the landing gear were unsuccessful. The pilot elected to divert to Southern Pines, north carolina. He performed a wheels-up landing on the grass between the two runways and during landing rollout, the aircraft impacted a ditch. An examination of the airplane revealed that the strap bracket assembly was missing the nut that attaches it to the main landing gear spring attachment bracket. As a result, the left landing gear had come loose and reversed direction, preventing the landing gear from fully extending and locking in the down position.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 8, 1999, AT 1730 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA24, N7001P, SKIDDED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 23, DURING A WHEELS-UP LANDING AT THE MOORE COUNTY AIRPORT, IN SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH A FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER/PILOT WERE NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM WADESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, AT 1200. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, HE LANDED AT HIS FIRST PLANNED REFUELING STOP. AFTER REFUELING, THE PILOT CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TO NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA. UPON ARRIVING IN NEWPORT NEWS, THE PILOT ENTERED VISUAL TRAFFIC FOR A FULL STOP LANDING. DURING THE BEFORE LANDING CHECK, THE PILOT LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE, AND NOTICED AN UNSAFE LANDING GEAR INDICATION. THE PILOT COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, THAT ALSO FAILED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE LANDING. WHILE ENROUTE AND UPON ARRIVING IN SOUTHERN PINES, THE PILOT CONTINUED TO EXTEND THE LANDING. THE PILOT MADE A WHEELS-UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 23. (.4)THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WADESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, EN ROUTE TO NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, WITH A PLANNED FUEL STOP IN AHOSKIE, NORTH CAROLINA. UPON ARRIVING IN NEWPORT NEWS, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AND NOTICED AN UNSAFE LANDING GEAR INDICATION. NORMAL AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA. HE PERFORMED A WHEELS-UP LANDING ON THE GRASS BETWEEN THE TWO RUNWAYS AND DURING LANDING ROLLOUT, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A DITCH. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE STRAP BRACKET ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING THE NUT THAT ATTACHES IT TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SPRING ATTACHMENT BRACKET. AS A RESULT, THE LEFT LANDING GEAR HAD COME LOOSE AND REVERSED DIRECTION, PREVENTING THE LANDING GEAR FROM FULLY EXTENDING AND LOCKING IN THE DOWN POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.