OpenAirDocs.org

20020420011669I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-220T · Sturgis, MI · April 20, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 20, 2002 · 14:45 local
Place
Sturgis, MI
Airport
Kirsch Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N92721
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI02IA110
Reported as
Piper PA34220T
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
7,062 total1,350 in this make and model53 in the last 90 days
N92721Registration cancelled May 31, 2011 · Piper PA-34-220TS/N 3447019 · Built 1996Airframe modelPiper PA-34-220TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 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.

(-23) Aircraft departed VFR from battle creek, Michigan (btl). Pilot requested flight following to hamilton, Indiana, then to Sturgis, Michigan (irs). A/c was terminated from advisory service 7-8 miles south of irs. While performing a flaps up landing instruction, a/c landed on RW36 gear up, flaps up, skidding to a stop approximately 2000 feet down runway. No injuries. Pilot stated, no mechanical or weather related conditions caused this gear up landing. Pilot error was stated by Mr. Thomas, instructor pilot for western Michigan university, battle creek, Michigan (a FAR part 141 school). (.19) on April 20, 2002, at 1545 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-220T, N92721, piloted by a student pilot, was damaged during a wheels-up landing on runway 36 (5,700 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at the Kirsch Municipal Airport, Sturgis, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 without a flight plan. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot did not report any injuries. The flight departed the w.k. kellogg airport, battle creek, Michigan, at 1450. According to a written statement provided by the CFI, while on final approach the student verbally completed the landing checklist including verifying that the mixture controls were full rich, the propeller controls were full forward, and the landing gear position lights were green. The CFI stated that, "I did not check the 3 green lights myself." The CFI reported that during the flare the airplane floated longer than normal and then settled onto the runway. According to a written statement provided by the student pilot, she verbally completed the landing checklist and "... Failed to see that there were not 3 green lights." The student pilot stated that during landing she heard the tail scraping and saw one of the propellers impact the runway. The airplane was hoisted off the ground and the landing gear extended without any anomalies when the landing gear selector handle was placed in the gear-down position. No anomalies were found with the landing gear system that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT DEPARTED VFR FROM BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN (BTL). PILOT REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING TO HAMILTON, INDIANA, THEN TO STURGIS, MICHIGAN (IRS). A/C WAS TERMINATED FROM ADVISORY SERVICE 7-8 MILES SOUTH OF IRS. WHILE PERFORMING A FLAPS UP LANDING INSTRUCTION, A/C LANDED ON RW36 GEAR UP, FLAPS UP, SKIDDING TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET DOWN RUNWAY. NO INJURIES. PILOT STATED, NO MECHANICAL OR WEATHER RELATED CONDITIONS CAUSED THIS GEAR UP LANDING. PILOT ERROR WAS STATED BY MR. THOMAS, INSTRUCTOR PILOT FOR WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN (A FAR PART 141 SCHOOL). (.19) ON APRIL 20, 2002, AT 1545 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-34-220T, N92721, PILOTED BY A STUDENT PILOT, WAS DAMAGED DURING A WHEELS-UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 36 (5,700 FEET BY 75 FEET, DRY/ASPHALT) AT THE KIRSCH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, STURGIS, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE W.K. KELLOGG AIRPORT, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, AT 1450. ACCORDING TO A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE CFI, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE STUDENT VERBALLY COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST INCLUDING VERIFYING THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROLS WERE FULL RICH, THE PROPELLER CONTROLS WERE FULL FORWARD, AND THE LANDING GEAR POSITION LIGHTS WERE GREEN. THE CFI STATED THAT, "I DID NOT CHECK THE 3 GREEN LIGHTS MYSELF." THE CFI REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLARE THE AIRPLANE FLOATED LONGER THAN NORMAL AND THEN SETTLED ONTO THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO A WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED BY THE STUDENT PILOT, SHE VERBALLY COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST AND "... FAILED TO SEE THAT THERE WERE NOT 3 GREEN LIGHTS." THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT DURING LANDING SHE HEARD THE TAIL SCRAPING AND SAW ONE OF THE PROPELLERS IMPACT THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS HOISTED OFF THE GROUND AND THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED WITHOUT ANY ANOMALIES WHEN THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE WAS PLACED IN THE GEAR-DOWN POSITION. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH A PRE-IMPACT CONDITION.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CHI02IA110Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportSturgis, MIThe flightcrew not following the landing checklist, the flightcrew not lowering the landing gear, and the flight examiner's inadequate supervision of the flight.Apr 20, 2002 · Minor damage