# Accident 20010628014469A: Piper PA24250, Uvalde, TX, June 28, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 28, 2001, 18:45 local time - Place: Uvalde, TX - Airport: Garner Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.1504° N, 100.0207° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1504&lon=-100.0207&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6474P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6474P-2001-08-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250 - Reported engine: LYC O540A1C5 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 684 total, 157 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW01LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA157) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010628014469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON JUNE 28, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1845 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N6474P, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A WHEELS UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 15 AT GARNER FIELD AIRPORT IN UVALDE, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT AND OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM CARRIZO SPRINGS, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1830 WITH A DESTINATION OF UVALDE. DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS APPROACH WAS "TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST." HE DID NOT MOVE THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH TO THE DOWN POSITION UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH. HE DID NOT CHECK FOR A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED GREEN LIGHT UNTIL HE WAS ON SHORT FINAL. WHEN HE DID CHECK FOR A GREEN LIGHT, HE NOTED THAT IT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. AT THAT POINT, HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED", AND HE ELECTED TO REDUCE POWER AND LAND WITH THE WHEELS UP. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 170 YARDS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE PILOT OPENED THE DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE, HE NOTED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM BENEATH THE AIRPLANE. THE FIRE CONSUMED THE REAR PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE. (-23) PILOT JOHN R. CHILDERS, OPERATING N6474P, A PIPER COMANCHE, LANDED GEAR UP AT GARNER FIELD, UVALDE, TEXAS. PILOT STATED THAT HE PUT THE GEAR DOWN ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 15 APPROXIMATELY A HALF MILE OUT BUT DID NOT VERIFY THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. HE TOUCHED DOWN WITH GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, CAUGHT ON FIRE ON THE RUNWAY AND WAS DESTROYED. NO INJURIES NOTED. (.4) ON JUNE 28, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1845 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-250, N6474P, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A WHEELS UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 15 AT THE GARNER FIELD AIRPORT IN UVALDE, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT AND OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM CARRIZO SPRINGS, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1830, WITH A DESTINATION OF UVALDE. DURING A TELEPHON E INTERVIEW, THE PILOT STATED THAT ON DESCENT HE WAS "HIGH AND FAST." HE ENTERED DOWNWIND AT 3000 FEET, AND BEFORE HE TURNED BASE LEG, HE REALIZED HE WAS "STILL TOO HIGH" SO HE LOWERED THE FLAPS. HE DID NOT MOVE THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH TO THE DOWN POSITION UNTIL THE AIRPLANE WAS ON FINAL APPROACH. HE DID NOT CHECK FOR A LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED GREEN LIGHT UNTIL HE WAS ON SHORT FINAL. WHEN HE DID CHECK FOR A GREEN LIGHT, HE NOTED THAT IT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. AT THAT POINT, HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE "SPUTTERED", AND HE ELECTED TO REDUCED POWER AND LAND WITH THE WHEELS UP. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 170 YARDS BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE PILOT OPENED THE DOOR AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE, HE NOTED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM BENEATH THE AIRPLANE. THE ENSUING FIRE CONSUMED THE REAR PORTION OF THE FUSELAGE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT IN THE NTSB PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT, HE STATED THAT DURING THE APPROACH HE USED FULL FLAPS WITH A SPEED OF 80 MPH. ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE RUNWAY HE POSITIONED THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POSITION, BUT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY CHECK THE LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS TO VERIFY THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT STATED HE "DIDN'T CHECK THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT UNTIL OVER THE RUNWAY, THEN NO LIGHT. TOO LATE TO GO-AROUND." WHEN ASKED IN THE PILOT REPORT OF HOW THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, THE PILOT STATED "DO NOT BREAK FROM PROCEDURES OF YOUR NORMAL LANDINGS." ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW01LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW01LA157), Jun 28, 2001: Piper PA-24-250 (N6474P), Uvalde, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to verify the landing gear was down and locked, which resulted in a wheels up landing and subsequent ground fire. ## Other reports on N6474P (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19840211044779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840211044779I), Feb 11, 1984: Piper PA24250 (N6474P), Gorman, CA, Minor damage. Rough engine and power loss. Landed in a field. Engine checked out normal on post incident test. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.