20090413005259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Bakersfield, CA · April 13, 2009

Date: April 13, 2009 · 15:40 local
Place: Bakersfield, CA
Airport: Meadows Field
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N818LA
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO550*
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 40 total40 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N818LARegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-2868 · Built 1994 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine modelContinental IO-550 seriesReciprocating

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) A student pilot while performing ground reference maneuvers experienced an electrical failure. The pilot noticed that his radio equipment and instruments were acting up and was possible losing electrical power. At that time he decided to return to the airport. On downwind the pilot tried to lower the flaps and landing gear it came to his attention none of these systems were operational (electrical). The pilot performed a go-around and tried to lower the landing gear manual via the emergency extension handle. After approx 15 rotations of the emergency handle it became harder for the pilot to rotate the handle leading him to believer the gear was down. On short final the pilot heard the gear horn but continued to land, leading to a gear up landing. (The gear doors were partial open on ground contact). Flight school counseled all flight instructors an dpilots on electrical emergencies and emergency gear extention to prevent further incidents.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A STUDENT PILOT WHILE PERFORMING GROUND REFERENCE MANEUVERS EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS RADIO EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTS WERE ACTING UP AND WAS POSSIBLE LOSING ELECTRICAL POWER. AT THAT TIME HE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. ON DOWNWIND THE PILOT TRIED TO LOWER THE FLAPS AND LANDING GEAR IT CAME TO HIS ATTENTION NONE OF THESE SYSTEMS WERE OPERATIONAL (ELECTRICAL). THE PILOT PERFORMED A GO-AROUND AND TRIED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR MANUAL VIA THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE. AFTER APPROX 15 ROTATIONS OF THE EMERGENCY HANDLE IT BECAME HARDER FOR THE PILOT TO ROTATE THE HANDLE LEADING HIM TO BELIEVER THE GEAR WAS DOWN. ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT HEARD THE GEAR HORN BUT CONTINUED TO LAND, LEADING TO A GEAR UP LANDING. (THE GEAR DOORS WERE PARTIAL OPEN ON GROUND CONTACT). FLIGHT SCHOOL COUNSELED ALL FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS AN DPILOTS ON ELECTRICAL EMERGENCIES AND EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENTION TO PREVENT FURTHER INCIDENTS.