20050927023639I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Athens, GA · September 27, 2005

Date: September 27, 2005 · 19:07 local
Place: Athens, GA
Airport: Athens/Ben Epps Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N36516
Reported as: Piper PA32RT300T
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,559 total1,500 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N36516Registered now · Piper PA-32RT-300TS/N 32R-7887048 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300T Engine 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 being cleared to land on runway 9, N36516 experienced an electrical failure. The pilot believed that the gear was down and locked, but was not able to get confirmation due to the lack of electrical power. In addition, all gear warning systems became inoperative at the time of the electrical failure. Though cleared to land on runway 9 (the primary runway for Athens), the pilot elected to land on runway 2 in the event there was a problem on touch down. The aircraft touched down gear up approximately 600 feet from the runway threshold just left of centerline. After touch down the aircraft slid 400 feet and came to rest on the 1000 foot marker on the right side of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER BEING CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 9, N36516 EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE PILOT BELIEVED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO GET CONFIRMATION DUE TO THE LACK OF ELECTRICAL POWER. IN ADDITION, ALL GEAR WARNING SYSTEMS BECAME INOPERATIVE AT THE TIME OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THOUGH CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 9 (THE PRIMARY RUNWAY FOR ATHENS), THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 2 IN THE EVENT THERE WAS A PROBLEM ON TOUCH DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN GEAR UP APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD JUST LEFT OF CENTERLINE. AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE AIRCRAFT SLID 400 FEET AND CAME TO REST ON THE 1000 FOOT MARKER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.