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20100215027409I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Crestview, FL · February 15, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 15, 2010 · 15:35 local
Place
Crestview, FL
Airport
Bob Sikes
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7394P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,522 total142 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N7394PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-2578 · Built 1961Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

In a written statement, the pilot indicated that he had planned a short flight in the local area and was operating without a flight plan under visual flight rules (VFR). At the time of the incident there were two military helicopters and a Beech baron in the pattern and ASOS was reporting winds of 280 at 10 with gusts. The crosswinds and possibility of wake turbulence from the helicopters prompted him to fly the approach with less than full flaps and at a higher than normal airspeed. In his statement, he said he completed the landing checklist two miles out and remembers confirming the green gear down and locked indicator light. He also stated he checked the light again on short final. He stated the aircraft touched down on its left gear first but when he was expecting the right to touchdown he heard the landing gear warning horn. He tried to add power but the prop struck the runway and the aircraft settled to the ground and slid to a stop, on centerline, approximately 1000 feet from the approach end of the runway.

As the FAA filed it

IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD PLANNED A SHORT FLIGHT IN THE LOCAL AREA AND WAS OPERATING WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THERE WERE TWO MILITARY HELICOPTERS AND A BEECH BARON IN THE PATTERN AND ASOS WAS REPORTING WINDS OF 280 AT 10 WITH GUSTS. THE CROSSWINDS AND POSSIBILITY OF WAKE TURBULENCE FROM THE HELICOPTERS PROMPTED HIM TO FLY THE APPROACH WITH LESS THAN FULL FLAPS AND AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPEED. IN HIS STATEMENT, HE SAID HE COMPLETED THE LANDING CHECKLIST TWO MILES OUT AND REMEMBERS CONFIRMING THE GREEN GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR LIGHT. HE ALSO STATED HE CHECKED THE LIGHT AGAIN ON SHORT FINAL. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS LEFT GEAR FIRST BUT WHEN HE WAS EXPECTING THE RIGHT TO TOUCHDOWN HE HEARD THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN. HE TRIED TO ADD POWER BUT THE PROP STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED TO THE GROUND AND SLID TO A STOP, ON CENTERLINE, APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY.