20020215008019I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA31T2 · Sioux City, IA · February 15, 2002

Date: February 15, 2002 · 19:25 local
Place: Sioux City, IA
Airport: Sioux Gateway
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N66JC
Reported as: Piper PA31T2
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,500 total4,812 in this make and model80 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) The aircraft was attempting to land at ida grove, Iowa, however, after the pilot put the gear handle down he only got a red gear unsafe light. At this point the pilot went through the emergency gear extension procedures but the gear still did not indicate they were down. The aircraft proceeded to Sioux City, Iowa, and flew by the control tower to verify the position of the gear. After several more attempts to extend the gear and a flyby indicating the gear was extended the pilot decided to land the aircraft with the red, gear unsafe light illuminated. The aircraft touched down on the main gear, and 50 feet down the runway the nose gear collapsed, causing the aircraft to skid approximately 800 feet on the runway. The aircraft was evacuated and there were no injuries. This incident is considered closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT IDA GROVE, IOWA, HOWEVER, AFTER THE PILOT PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN HE ONLY GOT A RED GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT. AT THIS POINT THE PILOT WENT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES BUT THE GEAR STILL DID NOT INDICATE THEY WERE DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO SIOUX CITY, IOWA, AND FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER TO VERIFY THE POSITION OF THE GEAR. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND THE GEAR AND A FLYBY INDICATING THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE RED, GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN GEAR, AND 50 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SKID APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET ON THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVACUATED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.