What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 01/19/04 N7988P a PA-24-250 suffered a ldg collapse at vny. Inspector belknap from the vny FSDO inspected the damaged aircraft on 01/20/04 with the following findings: all ldg gear retract rods were straight and showed no signs of bending, all ldg gear doors were undamaged. Landing gear transmission was found ripped out of its attach point. Statements from PIC ian marks indicated that after a normal touchdown with the ldg down light and johnson bar fwd there was a loud "snap" that was followed by the aircraft settling to the rnwy tail first. Another statement was written by privacy data omitted the gentleman that Mr. Marks was checking out in the aircraft. This statement essentially is the same as Mr. Marks, I.e. loud metallic snap followed by ldg collapse. An investigation revealed that the landing gear was not bent and appeared to be rigged correctly. Because of the damage to the attachment area of the ldg transmission I was unable to check the ldg rig with the motor in the system. There was no evidence of fatigue in or around the attachment area that was torn out. I could find no explanation for the ldg transmission to tear out of it's attachment. A statement was received from privacy data omitted of the aircraftsman who is the gentleman contracted to repair N7988P. His statement expresses his opinion that the "landing gear selector was inadvertently moved from the down position while the aircraft had already settled onto the belly, resulting in the transmission tearing itself from its mounting and destroying the bulkhead." This opinion is based on hisexperience of repairing many PA-24 aircraft with the same damage signature. In light of privacy data omitted statement and the fact that the gear doors were undamaged and that the landing gear system appeared to be in rig, privacy data omitted on August 17, 2004 Mr. Marks was again asked for his version of this incident and I explained that the damage was inconsistent with his statement. He was counseled on the comanche gear system. Incident closed with no conclusive determination as to the cause.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 01/19/04 N7988P A PA-24-250 SUFFERED A LDG COLLAPSE AT VNY. INSPECTOR BELKNAP FROM THE VNY FSDO INSPECTED THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT ON 01/20/04 WITH THE FOLLOWING FINDINGS: ALL LDG GEAR RETRACT RODS WERE STRAIGHT AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF BENDING, ALL LDG GEAR DOORS WERE UNDAMAGED. LANDING GEAR TRANSMISSION WAS FOUND RIPPED OUT OF ITS ATTACH POINT. STATEMENTS FROM PIC IAN MARKS INDICATED THAT AFTER A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN WITH THE LDG DOWN LIGHT AND JOHNSON BAR FWD THERE WAS A LOUD "SNAP" THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE AIRCRAFT SETTLING TO THE RNWY TAIL FIRST. ANOTHER STATEMENT WAS WRITTEN BY ^PRIVACY DA^ THE GENTLEMAN THAT MR. MARKS WAS CHECKING OUT IN THE AIRCRAFT. THIS STATEMENT ESSENTIALLY IS THE SAME AS MR. MARKS, I.E. LOUD METALLIC SNAP FOLLOWED BY LDG COLLAPSE. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT BENT AND APPEARED TO BE RIGGED CORRECTLY. BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE ATTACHMENT AREA OF THE LDG TRANSMISSION I WAS UNABLE TO CHECK THE LDG RIG WITH THE MOTOR IN THE SYSTEM. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE IN OR AROUND THE ATTACHMENT AREA THAT WAS TORN OUT. I COULD FIND NO EXPLANATION FOR THE LDG TRANSMISSION TO TEAR OUT OF IT'S ATTACHMENT. A STATEMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM ^PRIVACY DAT^ OF THE AIRCRAFTSMAN WHO IS THE GENTLEMAN CONTRACTED TO REPAIR N7988P. HIS STATEMENT EXPRESSES HIS OPINION THAT THE "LANDING GEAR SELECTOR WAS INADVERTENTLY MOVED FROM THE DOWN POSITION WHILE THE AIRCRAFT HAD ALREADY SETTLED ONTO THE BELLY, RESULTING IN THE TRANSMISSION TEARING ITSELF FROM ITS MOUNTING AND DESTROYING THE BULKHEAD." THIS OPINION IS BASED ON HISEXPERIENCE OF REPAIRING MANY PA-24 AIRCRAFT WITH THE SAME DAMAGE SIGNATURE. IN LIGHT OF ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATEMENT AND THE FACT THAT THE GEAR DOORS WERE UNDAMAGED AND THAT THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM APPEARED TO BE IN RIG, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON AUGUST 17, 2004 MR. MARKS WAS AGAIN ASKED FOR HIS VERSION OF THIS INCIDENT AND I EXPLAINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS INCONSISTENT WITH HIS STATEMENT. HE WAS COUNSELED ON THE COMANCHE GEAR SYSTEM. INCIDENT CLOSED WITH NO CONCLUSIVE DETERMINATION AS TO THE CAUSE.
Other reports on N7988P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.