20020506009099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-301 · Rocky Mount, NC · May 6, 2002

Date: May 6, 2002 · 11:15 local
Place: Rocky Mount, NC
Airport: Rocky Mount-Wilson
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8454R
Reported as: Piper PA32301
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 800 total300 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N8454RRegistered now · Piper PA-32-301S/N 32-8106097 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-301 Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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) The aircraft landed on runway 04 at the rwi airport. During taxi from the runway the pilot felt the left side of the aircraft begin to drag, as if he had a flat tire. The pilot stopped the aircraft on the taxiway with the left main gear just off the hard surface. Examination of the aircraft revealed a blown tire and tube on the left main gear and damage to the inboard half of the left main gear wheel fairing where it contacted the surface of the taxiway. The fiberglass was worn through on the fairing. The tire was blown on the sidewall and one of several "flat spots" on the tread. No other damage was noted. The aircraft was jacked up on the spot, the wheel removed, and the tire replace before towing the aircraft to the FBO. Further examination of the wheel and brake system by the maintenance department of the FBO did not reveal any mechanical irregularities.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 04 AT THE RWI AIRPORT. DURING TAXI FROM THE RUNWAY THE PILOT FELT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGIN TO DRAG, AS IF HE HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE PILOT STOPPED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE TAXIWAY WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR JUST OFF THE HARD SURFACE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A BLOWN TIRE AND TUBE ON THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND DAMAGE TO THE INBOARD HALF OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WHEEL FAIRING WHERE IT CONTACTED THE SURFACE OF THE TAXIWAY. THE FIBERGLASS WAS WORN THROUGH ON THE FAIRING. THE TIRE WAS BLOWN ON THE SIDEWALL AND ONE OF SEVERAL "FLAT SPOTS" ON THE TREAD. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED UP ON THE SPOT, THE WHEEL REMOVED, AND THE TIRE REPLACE BEFORE TOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE FBO. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE WHEEL AND BRAKE SYSTEM BY THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT OF THE FBO DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES.