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Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-31T · Key West, FL · April 3, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 3, 2009 · 12:21 local
Place
Key West, FL
Airport
Key West International
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N350ST
Reported as
Piper PA31T
People aboard
8
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,200 total2,300 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N350STRegistration cancelled Mar 24, 2010 · Piper PA-31TS/N 31T-8020068 · Built 1980Airframe modelPiper PA-31TEngine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60ATurbo-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)(-23) At 1321 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-21T operating under 14 CFR part 91 performed a gear up emergency landing at Key West International (eyw). The aircraft was scheduled to land at Florida keys marathon airport and diverted to eyw when all three landing gear failed to extend. The pilot completed the emergency checklist, attempting to cycle the landing gear handle 5 times with no change. The pilot contacted miami center, requesting a divert to eyw for an emergency landing due to failure of the landing gear system. The pilot then attempted two positive g pulls in an attempt to free the gear to no avail. The pilot flew the aircraft by the control tower for verification of landing gear position and controllers confirmed that only main gear doors were open and all landing gear was in the up position. The pilot flew the approach to a minimum altitude, shutdown both engines, and see the aircraft on the runway centerline stopping an estimated 500 feet from touchdown point on centerline. No injuries were reported. The aircraft received only minor damage to propellers, flaps and bottom during the landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)(-23) AT 1321 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-21T OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 PERFORMED A GEAR UP EMERGENCY LANDING AT KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL (EYW). THE AIRCRAFT WAS SCHEDULED TO LAND AT FLORIDA KEYS MARATHON AIRPORT AND DIVERTED TO EYW WHEN ALL THREE LANDING GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. THE PILOT COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST, ATTEMPTING TO CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE 5 TIMES WITH NO CHANGE. THE PILOT CONTACTED MIAMI CENTER, REQUESTING A DIVERT TO EYW FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING DUE TO FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TWO POSITIVE G PULLS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE GEAR TO NO AVAIL. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRCRAFT BY THE CONTROL TOWER FOR VERIFICATION OF LANDING GEAR POSITION AND CONTROLLERS CONFIRMED THAT ONLY MAIN GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN AND ALL LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE UP POSITION. THE PILOT FLEW THE APPROACH TO A MINIMUM ALTITUDE, SHUTDOWN BOTH ENGINES, AND SEE THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE STOPPING AN ESTIMATED 500 FEET FROM TOUCHDOWN POINT ON CENTERLINE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO PROPELLERS, FLAPS AND BOTTOM DURING THE LANDING.