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20040808019099I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Parker, AZ · August 8, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 8, 2004 · 09:55 local
Place
Parker, AZ
Airport
Avi Suquilla Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N588BS
Reported as
Piper PA32RT300T
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
360 total80 in this make and model65 in the last 90 days
N588BSRegistered now · Piper PA-32RT-300TS/N 32R-7887140 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300TEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) After departing from Parker Arizona, enroute to smo at 11,500' the pilot stated that he noticed a failure of the GPS and then heard static in his headset. The pilot then determined that he had an electrical failure and tried cycling the battery and alternator switches, noting no recovery of electrical power. The pilot stated that he did not detect an annunciator light at any time. The pilot then decided to return to Parker AZ and land. The pilot could not lower the landing gear electrically because of the power failure, so decided to initiate the emergency gear extension procedure. When asked at what speed he initiated this procedure, stated he thought 87 KTS. IAS. The pilot stated that he talked to Parker on a handheld radio and performed a fly by to check for a gear down condition, and ground personnel said the gear appeared down. During his landing on rwy 15 the nose, left main and right main gear collapsed. The pilot stated that all occupants exited the aircraft without injury. The pilot stated that the ammeter never seemed to register much over zero and that after initial start up at Parker before the flight, he didn't notice much needle movement, if any on the ammeter.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER DEPARTING FROM PARKER ARIZONA, ENROUTE TO SMO AT 11,500' THE PILOT STATED THAT HE NOTICED A FAILURE OF THE GPS AND THEN HEARD STATIC IN HIS HEADSET. THE PILOT THEN DETERMINED THAT HE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND TRIED CYCLING THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR SWITCHES, NOTING NO RECOVERY OF ELECTRICAL POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT DETECT AN ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT AT ANY TIME. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED TO RETURN TO PARKER AZ AND LAND. THE PILOT COULD NOT LOWER THE LANDING GEAR ELECTRICALLY BECAUSE OF THE POWER FAILURE, SO DECIDED TO INITIATE THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. WHEN ASKED AT WHAT SPEED HE INITIATED THIS PROCEDURE, STATED HE THOUGHT 87 KTS. IAS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TALKED TO PARKER ON A HANDHELD RADIO AND PERFORMED A FLY BY TO CHECK FOR A GEAR DOWN CONDITION, AND GROUND PERSONNEL SAID THE GEAR APPEARED DOWN. DURING HIS LANDING ON RWY 15 THE NOSE, LEFT MAIN AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT ALL OCCUPANTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AMMETER NEVER SEEMED TO REGISTER MUCH OVER ZERO AND THAT AFTER INITIAL START UP AT PARKER BEFORE THE FLIGHT, HE DIDN'T NOTICE MUCH NEEDLE MOVEMENT, IF ANY ON THE AMMETER.