# Accident 20090412006779A: Piper PA31325, Orlando, FL, April 12, 2009

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 2009, 13:45 local time
- Place: Orlando, FL
- Airport: Executive
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.5383° N, 81.3792° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Orlando, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5383&lon=-81.3792&mi=10
- Aircraft: N71MJ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N71MJ-2019-08-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-325 (registry code 7103105, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-325) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31325
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,100 total, 360 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090412006779A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) N71MJ, A PA-31 WAS ON A DAY VFR PLEASURE FLIGHT WITH A PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD.  THE PILOT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTING PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDING.  WHILE TAXIING TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT CYCLED THE LANDIG GEAR SWITCH FROM THE DOWN NEUTRAL POSITION TO THE DOWN POSITION.  VERBAL AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS FROM THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH WAS PULLED OUT AND THEN PUSHED DOWN.  WHEN THIS ACTION OCCURRED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED WITH THE LEFT WING AND PROPELLER IMPACTED THE GROUND.  INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR ANTI-RETRACTION SOLENOID HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED, AND WAS NOT CORRECTLY ALIGNED, ALLOWING THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH TO BE MOVED PAST THE DOWN DETENT.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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