20021211034949I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-30 · Calexico, CA · December 11, 2002

Date: December 11, 2002 · 17:40 local
Place: Calexico, CA
Airport: Calexico International Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N73EB
Reported as: Piper PA30
Reported engine: Lycoming IO320B1A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total350 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N73EBRegistration cancelled Jul 29, 2013 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-1442 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-30 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 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 pilot stated that as he made his approach for landing, the landing gear would not extend normally so the emergency gear release was used to drop the gear. He further stated that the gear position lights did not appear to be working and that the landing gear collapsed during landing roll-out. After skidding to a stop, he noticed that the landing gear circuit breaker was out, or "popped". During a subsequent gear swing, with the landing gear circuit breaker engaged, the landing gear operated normally. During further discussion with the pilot, he admitted that he had forgotten to lock the emergency gear release handle back into position before landing, which allowed the gear to retract.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE MADE HIS APPROACH FOR LANDING, THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND NORMALLY SO THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE WAS USED TO DROP THE GEAR. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE GEAR POSITION LIGHTS DID NOT APPEAR TO BE WORKING AND THAT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING LANDING ROLL-OUT. AFTER SKIDDING TO A STOP, HE NOTICED THAT THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS OUT, OR "POPPED". DURING A SUBSEQUENT GEAR SWING, WITH THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER ENGAGED, THE LANDING GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY. DURING FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE PILOT, HE ADMITTED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO LOCK THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE HANDLE BACK INTO POSITION BEFORE LANDING, WHICH ALLOWED THE GEAR TO RETRACT.