OpenAirDocs.org

19990603017299I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Madera, CA · June 3, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 3, 1999 · 11:30 local
Place
Madera, CA
Airport
Madera Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8368P
Reported as
Piper PA24250
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total165 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N8368PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-3626 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

Following Mr. Ferguson's aircraft upgrade, which included the addition of vernier throttle, Mr. Ferguson and the mechanic made a maintenance test flight to insure that everything functioned properly. Mr. Ferguson then took the aircraft for some takeoff and landing practice. On his final approach, Mr. Ferguson became distracted with the vernier throttle and did not complete the landing check list, missing the gear extension. When the aircraft did not touch down when he thought it should band he heard a scratching noise, he added power and made a go around. There were no vibrations so Mr. Ferguson continued around the pattern and landed normally. It was not until the engine was shut down that he noticed that the propeller blade ends were curled. Post flight inspection also noted that the aircraft underside antennas were broken off and there was scraping of a vent opening. There was no structural damage to the aircraft. The gear warning horn was not due to the david-clark head set that Mr. Ferguson was wearing.

As the FAA filed it

FOLLOWING MR. FERGUSON'S AIRCRAFT UPGRADE, WHICH INCLUDED THE ADDITION OF VERNIER THROTTLE, MR. FERGUSON AND THE MECHANIC MADE A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT TO INSURE THAT EVERYTHING FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. MR. FERGUSON THEN TOOK THE AIRCRAFT FOR SOME TAKEOFF AND LANDING PRACTICE. ON HIS FINAL APPROACH, MR. FERGUSON BECAME DISTRACTED WITH THE VERNIER THROTTLE AND DID NOT COMPLETE THE LANDING CHECK LIST, MISSING THE GEAR EXTENSION. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT TOUCH DOWN WHEN HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BAND HE HEARD A SCRATCHING NOISE, HE ADDED POWER AND MADE A GO AROUND. THERE WERE NO VIBRATIONS SO MR. FERGUSON CONTINUED AROUND THE PATTERN AND LANDED NORMALLY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE PROPELLER BLADE ENDS WERE CURLED. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION ALSO NOTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT UNDERSIDE ANTENNAS WERE BROKEN OFF AND THERE WAS SCRAPING OF A VENT OPENING. THERE WAS NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE GEAR WARNING HORN WAS NOT DUE TO THE DAVID-CLARK HEAD SET THAT MR. FERGUSON WAS WEARING.