20030401006109I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32RT-300 · Richmond, IN · April 1, 2003

Date: April 1, 2003 · 10:10 local
Place: Richmond, IN
Airport: Richmond Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N36149
Reported as: Piper PA32RT300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540*
Pilot’s flight hours: 650 total260 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days

N36149Registered now · Piper PA-32RT-300S/N 32R-7885165 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300 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) Airman stated that while enroute kalamazoo, mi to his destination in Florida he experienced electrical difficulties causing him to lose communication with ATC and loss of navigation radios. He diverted to Richmond Municipal Airport. While descending for landing he said he attempted to lower the landing gear using the emergency gear down procedure. The pilot stated that he was unable to get the gear to fall. He said he elected to make a gear up landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRMAN STATED THAT WHILE ENROUTE KALAMAZOO, MI TO HIS DESTINATION IN FLORIDA HE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL DIFFICULTIES CAUSING HIM TO LOSE COMMUNICATION WITH ATC AND LOSS OF NAVIGATION RADIOS. HE DIVERTED TO RICHMOND MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. WHILE DESCENDING FOR LANDING HE SAID HE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR USING THE EMERGENCY GEAR DOWN PROCEDURE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE GEAR TO FALL. HE SAID HE ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR UP LANDING.