20040415004809I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-160 · Olympia, WA · April 15, 2004

Date: April 15, 2004 · 12:25 local
Place: Olympia, WA
Airport: Olympia
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4001P
Reported as: Piper PA23160
Reported engine: Lycoming O320B1B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0

N4001PRegistration cancelled Sep 27, 2025 · Piper PA-23-160S/N 23-1476 · Built 1958 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-160 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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) Pilot noticed lack of green light for right gear when on approach. Pilot worked with ground to troubleshoot gear system cycling up and down a number of times. When it was decided to land they didn't know whether they had a faulty indicator system or a problem with the gear. The pilot landed lightly, rolled to as slow as he could without applying brakes or turning. The right gear folded aft, against the drag struct in the opposite direction to normal. The aircraft settled on the wheel under the wing. No propeller or engine damage was incurred, or other than minor damage in the wheel well.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT NOTICED LACK OF GREEN LIGHT FOR RIGHT GEAR WHEN ON APPROACH. PILOT WORKED WITH GROUND TO TROUBLESHOOT GEAR SYSTEM CYCLING UP AND DOWN A NUMBER OF TIMES. WHEN IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THEY HAD A FAULTY INDICATOR SYSTEM OR A PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR. THE PILOT LANDED LIGHTLY, ROLLED TO AS SLOW AS HE COULD WITHOUT APPLYING BRAKES OR TURNING. THE RIGHT GEAR FOLDED AFT, AGAINST THE DRAG STRUCT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO NORMAL. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON THE WHEEL UNDER THE WING. NO PROPELLER OR ENGINE DAMAGE WAS INCURRED, OR OTHER THAN MINOR DAMAGE IN THE WHEEL WELL.