OpenAirDocs.org

20080510835649I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Palmer Spencerairca · Half Moon Bay, CA · May 10, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
May 10, 2008 · 14:45 local
Place
Half Moon Bay, CA
Airport
Half Moon Bay
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N351DP
Reported as
Palmer Spencerairca
Reported engine
Continental 6285C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
273 total74 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days
N351DPRegistration cancelled Dec 1, 2018 · Palmer Douglas Ian SPENCER AIRCAR S12ES/N 351 · Built 2007Airframe modelPalmer Douglas Ian SPENCER AIRCAR S12EEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) As the pilot approached the airport, crossing midfield overhead at 1500 feet, the landing gear was lowered. At that point the pilot stated, "we are making a land landing, the gear is down". The pilot's wife was flying with him and has been taught to look out the window and at the gear lights to confirm that he is not making a mistake with the position of the gear as the aircraft is amphibious. The pilot turned downwind and did his paper checklist (gumps). When checking the gear the pilot again stated, "we are making a land landing, the gear is down and locked". This includes looking out the window to confirm that all the wheels are down. The rear wheels are visible, and the front wheel can be seen in a mirror on the wing float. The final approach was normal and was executed with full flaps. On touchdown, there was a slight delay and then the plane settled down onto its keel at the skeg. At that point the pilot recognized that there had been a landing gear problem and continued to control the aircraft until it came to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AS THE PILOT APPROACHED THE AIRPORT, CROSSING MIDFIELD OVERHEAD AT 1500 FEET, THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT STATED, "WE ARE MAKING A LAND LANDING, THE GEAR IS DOWN". THE PILOT'S WIFE WAS FLYING WITH HIM AND HAS BEEN TAUGHT TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND AT THE GEAR LIGHTS TO CONFIRM THAT HE IS NOT MAKING A MISTAKE WITH THE POSITION OF THE GEAR AS THE AIRCRAFT IS AMPHIBIOUS. THE PILOT TURNED DOWNWIND AND DID HIS PAPER CHECKLIST (GUMPS). WHEN CHECKING THE GEAR THE PILOT AGAIN STATED, "WE ARE MAKING A LAND LANDING, THE GEAR IS DOWN AND LOCKED". THIS INCLUDES LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW TO CONFIRM THAT ALL THE WHEELS ARE DOWN. THE REAR WHEELS ARE VISIBLE, AND THE FRONT WHEEL CAN BE SEEN IN A MIRROR ON THE WING FLOAT. THE FINAL APPROACH WAS NORMAL AND WAS EXECUTED WITH FULL FLAPS. ON TOUCHDOWN, THERE WAS A SLIGHT DELAY AND THEN THE PLANE SETTLED DOWN ONTO ITS KEEL AT THE SKEG. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A LANDING GEAR PROBLEM AND CONTINUED TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL IT CAME TO A STOP.