# Accident 20020313003329A: Piper PA31350, Fairbanks, AK, March 13, 2002 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 13, 2002, 15:53 local time - Place: Fairbanks, AK - Airport: Fairbanks International - Damage: No damage - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: WVBA - Location: 64.8136° N, 147.8597° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.8136&lon=-147.8597&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3527U, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3527U) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (registry code 41977, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-j2bd) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC02LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA022) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020313003329A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON MARCH 13, 2002, ABOUT 1553 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-31-350 AIRPLANE, N3527U, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN INADVERTENT WHEELS-UP LANDING, AT THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 135, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY WARBELOW AIR VENTURES, INC., OF FAIRBANKS, AS FLIGHT 605. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT AND THE EIGHT PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A COMPANY VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS ACTIVE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE FORT YUKON AIRPORT, FORT YUKON, ALASKA, ABOUT 1503. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), ON MARCH 14, THE PILOT SAID AS HE ENTERED THE PATTERN, HE WAS TOLD BY THE TOWER TO CROSS OVER AND ENTER RIGHT TRAFFIC FOR RUNWAY 1. THE TOWER THEN TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE TO EXTEND DOWNWIND BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC. THE PILOT SAID HE MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO PUT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AT THE USUAL POINT BECAUSE OF THE REQUEST TO EXTEND HIS PATTERN. HE SAID AS HE STARTED TO EXTEND HIS PATTERN, THE TOWER ASKED HIM TO EXPEDITE A BASE TURN, AND "KEEP IT TIGHT". THE PILOT SAID ON THE BASE LEG, HE AGAIN FAILED TO COMPLETE HIS CHECKLIST. HE SAID ON THE FINAL LEG OF HIS APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE BEHIND HIM SAID THEY WERE TOO CLOSE, AND THEY WERE GOING TO GO AROUND. IN THE CONFUSION, HE SAID HE NEVER COMPLETED HIS BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST, AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. THE PILOT SAID THAT FATIGUE ADDED TO HIS CONFUSION, WHICH LEAD TO THE ACCIDENT. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE IIC ON MARCH 14, THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE FOR THE OPERATOR SAID THE FORWARD THIRD OF THE LONGITUDINAL STRINGERS AND SEVERAL BULKHEADS OF THE FUSELAGE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED, DUE TO DAMAGE INCURRED DURING THE ACCIDENT. ONCE THE AIRPLANE WAS RAISED OFF OF THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY, AND THE 3 GREEN LANDING GEAR WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. (-23) BUSY TRAFFIC PATTERN, DEVIATION FROM STANDARD PATTERN, FAILED TO COMPLETE LANDING CHECK LIST, FAILED TO EXTEND LANDING GEAR AND LANDED WITH LANDING GEAR UP. ## 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 ANC02LA022](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC02LA022), Mar 13, 2002: Piper PA-31-350 (N3527U), Fairbanks, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to complete his prelanding checklist, and a subsequent inadvertent wheels up landing. ## Other reports on N3527U (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20020730017119A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020730017119A), Jul 30, 2002: Piper PA31350 (N3527U), Fairbanks, AK, No damage. (.19) On July 30, 2002, about 1340 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 172 airplane, N739PB, sustained substantial damage during an on-ground collision with a Piper… - [Incident 19990304012849I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990304012849I), Mar 4, 1999: Piper PA31350 (N3527U), Galena, AK. On takeoff from gal pilot got red gear unsafe light and hydraulic system fluid was lost. He returned to the flights originating airport andlanded without… - [Accident 19980811025109A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980811025109A), Aug 11, 1998: Piper PA31350 (N3527U), Fort Yukon, AK, Substantial damage. (.4) The airline transport pilot was preparing to land a multiengine, retractable landing gear airplane. He reported that while on downwind for landing on… - [Incident 19890118006569I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890118006569I), Jan 18, 1989: Piper PA31350 (N3527U), Fairbanks, AK. High temperature and low oil pressure on climbout. Engine shutdown. Returned. Oil had congealed in oil cooler. 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.