20080721840259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA32RT300 · Allentown, PA · July 21, 2008

Date: July 21, 2008 · 00:10 local
Place: Allentown, PA
Airport: Lehigh Valley International
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N39741
Reported as: Piper PA32RT300
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,100 total300 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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) Aircraft was en route from york, PA airport "thv" to hartford, CT "hfd" pilot reports that instrument panel light became dim, and the alternator fail light illuminated with the amp meter at zero. The pilot decided to extend the landing gear. Gear indication showed main gear down, with dim green, but nose gear did not display. Total electrical failure at this point. Pilots stated that he decided to land at "abe". The main gear touched down, the nose gear locked down after the prop contracted the runway. At this point the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE FROM YORK, PA AIRPORT "THV" TO HARTFORD, CT "HFD" PILOT REPORTS THAT INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT BECAME DIM, AND THE ALTERNATOR FAIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE AMP METER AT ZERO. THE PILOT DECIDED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. GEAR INDICATION SHOWED MAIN GEAR DOWN, WITH DIM GREEN, BUT NOSE GEAR DID NOT DISPLAY. TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT THIS POINT. PILOTS STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO LAND AT "ABE". THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE GEAR LOCKED DOWN AFTER THE PROP CONTRACTED THE RUNWAY. AT THIS POINT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP.