# Incident 20020831022759I: Piper PA28R201, Cortez, CO, August 31, 2002

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2002, 20:55 local time
- Place: Cortez, CO
- Airport: Cortez-Montezuma County
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3498° N, 108.5761° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Cortez, CO, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3498&lon=-108.5761&mi=10
- Aircraft: N31386, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31386) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201 (registry code 7102816, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-360 series (registry code 17025, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R201
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 275 total, 90 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020831022759I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED BY PHONE AND BY HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT ON 9/3/02 THE FACT RELATING TO THE INCIDENT. HE ENTERED A LEFT DOWNWIND APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21 AT CORTEZ, CO. AT ABOUT THE MIDFIELD POINT HE REACHED UP AND PUT THE GEAR EXTENSION LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE PILOT WAS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AHEAD AND FAILED TO CONFIRM THE GEAR DOWN LIGHT. HE CONTINUED A NORMAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21 AND LANDED GEAR UP. THE FBO MECHANIC FOUND THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, ENGINE, INBOARD FLAPS, NOSE GEAR DOORS, AND FUSELAGE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. CORTEZ FLYING SERVICE MECHANIC VERIFIED THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION WHEN HE LOOKED IN THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE GEAR UP LANDING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CORTEZ FLYING SERVICE MECHANIC WILL PERFORM AN INSPECTION AND FURNISH A WRITTEN REPORT OF THE DAMAGE AND WILL VERIFY THE CAUSE OF THE POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER. NO ON SCENE BY THE FAA.

## Other reports on N31386 (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19881002042651A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881002042651A), Oct 2, 1988: Piper PA28R201 (N31386), Lancaster, CA, Substantial damage. While descending to land overtook N49382 and hit its wing tip. N49382 was climbing from a afb. Both landed safely.
- [Incident 19791023054669I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19791023054669I), Oct 23, 1979: Piper PA28R201 (N31386), Lancaster, TX, Minor damage. Airspeed got too low on simulated forced landing aproach, aircraft settled in with power.

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.

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