20051224031259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Phoenix, AZ · December 24, 2005

Date: December 24, 2005 · 11:56 local
Place: Phoenix, AZ
Airport: Phoenix-Deer Valley Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: W6TA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N494SC
Reported as: Piper PA31350
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,900 total1,300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N494SCRegistration cancelled Feb 28, 2017 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-7752099 · Built 1977 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350 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) On December 28, 2005, at approximately 11:56 am, after the pilot in command selected gear down for landing, only two gear down and locked lights were illuminated. Pilot called tower and asked for a fly by which showed that the left main gear was not down at all. Pilot tried emergency extension but that was of no effect. Pilot executed a gear up landing with engines shut down and propellers feathered. Damage to aircraft from gear up landing was minor. Left main gear was held up by uplock during landing. Cause of left main gear failure to extend was a broken rod end on the retract/extend actuator. This actuator also releases the uplock. Evidence of a pre-existing crack was evident on broken surface of actuator rod. Pmi for western aviators, inc. reviewed the aircraft's maintenance records and found the previous 50 hour, 100 hour, and annual inspections had been complied with within the required times.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON DECEMBER 28, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:56 AM, AFTER THE PILOT IN COMMAND SELECTED GEAR DOWN FOR LANDING, ONLY TWO GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. PILOT CALLED TOWER AND ASKED FOR A FLY BY WHICH SHOWED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AT ALL. PILOT TRIED EMERGENCY EXTENSION BUT THAT WAS OF NO EFFECT. PILOT EXECUTED A GEAR UP LANDING WITH ENGINES SHUT DOWN AND PROPELLERS FEATHERED. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT FROM GEAR UP LANDING WAS MINOR. LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS HELD UP BY UPLOCK DURING LANDING. CAUSE OF LEFT MAIN GEAR FAILURE TO EXTEND WAS A BROKEN ROD END ON THE RETRACT/EXTEND ACTUATOR. THIS ACTUATOR ALSO RELEASES THE UPLOCK. EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING CRACK WAS EVIDENT ON BROKEN SURFACE OF ACTUATOR ROD. PMI FOR WESTERN AVIATORS, INC. REVIEWED THE AIRCRAFT'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND FOUND THE PREVIOUS 50 HOUR, 100 HOUR, AND ANNUAL INSPECTIONS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH WITHIN THE REQUIRED TIMES.

Other reports on N494SC · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19980313006599IClimb · Ontario, CANarrative: westavia 31, a PA-31 enroute from lgb to las diverted to ont because of an engine failure. While climbing thru 7000 ft. MSL, the manifold pressure dropped on the number one engine (left). Westavia 31 landed safely at ont. Further inspection…Mar 13, 1998 Incident 19880105003669IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Soldotna, AKHit a moose lying on runway during landing rollout. Damage to prop and landing gear.Jan 5, 1988 · Minor damage Incident 19850613032489ILevel Off Touchdown · Soldotna_______, AKPilot decided to make touch and go on the way to work. Failed to extend gear for second landing.Jun 13, 1985 · Minor damage