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20030808022519I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Wetumpka, AL · August 8, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 8, 2003 · 18:25 local
Place
Wetumpka, AL
Airport
Wetumpka Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N55330
Reported as
Piper PA28R200
Reported engine
Continental IO360*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
312 total2 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days
N55330Registered now · Piper PA-28R-200S/N 28R-7335218 · Built 1973Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-200Engine modelLycoming I0360 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 after taking off from mgm he retracted the gear and the gear fell once the retraction was complete. He checked the airspeed, made sure the gear handle was up, that all breakers were set, and noticed the emergency gear down lever was in the down position. He reset the emergency lever to the up position and cycled the gear. Once again it fell when the up cycle was complete. He then set the emergency gear override and cycled the gear up and the problem stopped. He continued to Wetumpka Municipal Airport where he entered the pattern behind a Kitfox, he slowed the aircraft to 90 KTS and did a gump less gear. At pattern altitude he followed outside the Kitfox on downwind where he started a second gump, upon adjusting his sitting position the seat released and slid backwards. He returned his seat to his flight position by releasing his lap belt and scooting forward and resetting his lap belt. He noticed the Kitfox had turned final so he extended his downwind with one notch of flaps, he then turned base and added a second notch of flaps, checked his fuel, pump, prop, and mixture while watching the Kitfox takeoff. He then proceeded to land. Upon landing he realized the gear was up.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TAKING OFF FROM MGM HE RETRACTED THE GEAR AND THE GEAR FELL ONCE THE RETRACTION WAS COMPLETE. HE CHECKED THE AIRSPEED, MADE SURE THE GEAR HANDLE WAS UP, THAT ALL BREAKERS WERE SET, AND NOTICED THE EMERGENCY GEAR DOWN LEVER WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. HE RESET THE EMERGENCY LEVER TO THE UP POSITION AND CYCLED THE GEAR. ONCE AGAIN IT FELL WHEN THE UP CYCLE WAS COMPLETE. HE THEN SET THE EMERGENCY GEAR OVERRIDE AND CYCLED THE GEAR UP AND THE PROBLEM STOPPED. HE CONTINUED TO WETUMPKA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHERE HE ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND A KITFOX, HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO 90 KTS AND DID A GUMP LESS GEAR. AT PATTERN ALTITUDE HE FOLLOWED OUTSIDE THE KITFOX ON DOWNWIND WHERE HE STARTED A SECOND GUMP, UPON ADJUSTING HIS SITTING POSITION THE SEAT RELEASED AND SLID BACKWARDS. HE RETURNED HIS SEAT TO HIS FLIGHT POSITION BY RELEASING HIS LAP BELT AND SCOOTING FORWARD AND RESETTING HIS LAP BELT. HE NOTICED THE KITFOX HAD TURNED FINAL SO HE EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND WITH ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS, HE THEN TURNED BASE AND ADDED A SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS, CHECKED HIS FUEL, PUMP, PROP, AND MIXTURE WHILE WATCHING THE KITFOX TAKEOFF. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND. UPON LANDING HE REALIZED THE GEAR WAS UP.