20000319011519A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA31T1 · Scottsdale, AZ · March 19, 2000

Date
March 19, 2000 · 19:45 local
Place
Scottsdale, AZ
Airport
Scottsdale Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5WC
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA131
Reported as
Piper PA31T1
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A11
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,000 total2,000 in this make and model20 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.

(-23) Pilot was attempting to land on rwy 21 at sdl. Upon touchdown the pilot states his outside reference was not normal (too low). At that point he heard metal scraping and the props hitting the surface of the runway. The aircraft was difficult to control on runway. It started to angle to the right of centerline and went off the runway. The aircraft struck a lighted runway id sign. The sign punctured the right hand side of the fuselage at the leading right wing edge. The aircraft came to rest on top of the sign which caused damage to the right engine air scoop cowling and to the right wing leading edge near the engine attach point. The flaps, gear doors, bottom antennas, both air scoops, pitot tube and right spinner were damaged. No injuries.--end-- (.4) on March 19, 2000, at 1945 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-31-T1, N5WC, landed gear up at the Scottsdale, Arizona, airport. The airplane, operated by gunslinger investment corporation, telluride, Colorado, sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal cross-country flight had originated in telluride, co lorado, at 1815, and was terminating at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that while landing on runway 21, he felt the rudder pedals vibrating. The airplane settled and he heard the propellers striking the runway. The airplane veered to the right off the runway centerline and struck a runway light. The pressure bulkhead was punctured and there was damage to the right engine air scoop cowling, the right wing leading edge, the flaps, gear doors, bottom antennas, pitot tube, and right spinner. A federal aviation administration inspector from the Scottsdale flight standards district office responded to the site. He reported that on March 23, 2000, he witnessed the landing gear being swung at the Scottsdale airport. He stated that no discrepancies were noted during the test. The landing gear light and horn systems functioned normally.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RWY 21 AT SDL. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT STATES HIS OUTSIDE REFERENCE WAS NOT NORMAL (TOO LOW). AT THAT POINT HE HEARD METAL SCRAPING AND THE PROPS HITTING THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ON RUNWAY. IT STARTED TO ANGLE TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE AND WENT OFF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A LIGHTED RUNWAY ID SIGN. THE SIGN PUNCTURED THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AT THE LEADING RIGHT WING EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON TOP OF THE SIGN WHICH CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE AIR SCOOP COWLING AND TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE NEAR THE ENGINE ATTACH POINT. THE FLAPS, GEAR DOORS, BOTTOM ANTENNAS, BOTH AIR SCOOPS, PITOT TUBE AND RIGHT SPINNER WERE DAMAGED. NO INJURIES.--END-- (.4) ON MARCH 19, 2000, AT 1945 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-31-T1, N5WC, LANDED GEAR UP AT THE SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA, AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY GUNSLINGER INVESTMENT CORPORATION, TELLURIDE, COLORADO, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED IN TELLURIDE, CO LORADO, AT 1815, AND WAS TERMINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 21, HE FELT THE RUDDER PEDALS VIBRATING. THE AIRPLANE SETTLED AND HE HEARD THE PROPELLERS STRIKING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT. THE PRESSURE BULKHEAD WAS PUNCTURED AND THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT ENGINE AIR SCOOP COWLING, THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, THE FLAPS, GEAR DOORS, BOTTOM ANTENNAS, PITOT TUBE, AND RIGHT SPINNER. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR FROM THE SCOTTSDALE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RESPONDED TO THE SITE. HE REPORTED THAT ON MARCH 23, 2000, HE WITNESSED THE LANDING GEAR BEING SWUNG AT THE SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED DURING THE TEST. THE LANDING GEAR LIGHT AND HORN SYSTEMS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.