# Incident 20100307028669I: Aviat Aircr A-1C-180, Pittsfield, MA, March 7, 2010

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 2010, 08:30 local time
- Place: Pittsfield, MA
- Airport: Pittsfield Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: HLFA
- Location: 42.4276° N, 73.2908° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PITTSFIELD MUNI (PSF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.4276&lon=-73.2908&mi=10
- Aircraft: N701MA (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: AVIAT AIRCR A-1C-180
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,715 total, 122 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100307028669I

## Narrative

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

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS HIRED TO FLY N701MA FROM THE PK FLOAT FACTORY IN LINCOLN ME. KLRG, TO PITTSFIELD , MA KPSF, THEN TO ALBANY NY KALB, AND PICK UP THE NEW OWNER AND FLY HIM TO HIS HOME BASE IN TEXAS. DURING THE FLIGHT TO PITTSFIELD HE STOPPED IN LACONIA NH TO TOP OFF WITH FUEL AND PICK UP ANOTHER PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THEY BOTH NOTICED THE ACFT TRIM INDICATOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DEFLECTED TO THE RIGHT AND THE ACFT HAD A ROLLING TENDENCY TO THE LEFT. THE TWO PILOTS DISCUSSED THIS AND DECIDED TO FLY IT TO PITTSFIELD. THEY ARRIVED IN PITTSFIELD AT APPROX 10PM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO FLY THE ACFT IN THE MORNING TO TROUBLESHOOT OR BE ABLE TO BETTER DESCRIBE THE TRIM ISSUES TO THE PK FLOAT FACTORY. THE FLIGHT STARTED AT APPROX 8AM, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW THE ACFT IN ALL DIRECTIONS AND POWER SETTINGS, AND NOTICED THE TRIM ISSUE WAS STILL PRESENT. ON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROACH TO LAND ON RWY 26, HE WAS FIXATED ON THE TRIM ISSUES AND FORGOT TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST AND LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS, HE IS MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE WHEEL MODEL VS AMPHIBIOUS WHICH LED TO COMPLACENCY. UPON TOUCH DOWN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RECOGNIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED, HE COMMITTED TO THE LANDING AND MAINTAINED RUNWAY ALIGNMENT. AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP AT APPROX THE INTERSECTION OF RWY'S 08/26 & 14/32, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WENT INTO THE FBO AND ASKED TO GET THE AIRPORT NOTAMED CLOSED.THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND LYONS AVN MECHANICS WERE CALLED AT HOME, THEY ARRIVED AT THE AIRPORT, RAISED THE ACFT, LOWERED THE GEAR AND MOVED THE ACFT TO PARKING AND TIED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. THE INCIDENT WAS IDENTIFIED TO THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER BY ALBANY APPROACH/TRACON WHEN THE PHONE CALL WAS MADE TO NOTAM THE AIRPORT CLOSED.  AIRCRAFT DAMAGE:I SPOKE WITH PK FLOAT INC OWNER AND ENGINEER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HE STATED THE FLOATS ARE DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE A RUNWAY LANDING WITH THE GEAR UP, THEY CAN PROBABLY HANDLE 3 LANDINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE ANY MAJOR REPAIRS ARE REQUIRED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD THE "SKEG" OR LOWEST POINT OF THE PONTOONS WITH AN ALUMINUM WEAR STRUCTURE, APPROX 1/2" WIDE BY 3/4 " DEEP, WORN. THE WORN AREA IS APPROX 6 FT LONG AND IT IS THE CENTER 1/3 OF THE PONTOON.AN A&P MECHANIC FROM LYON AVIATION AT PITTSFIELD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT WITH GUIDANCE FROM PK FLOAT MAINTENANCE DEPT AND RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE. A FERRY PERMIT WAS ISSUED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO PK FLOATS TO GET THE OUT OF TRIM CONDITION EVALUATED AND WHILE THERE, HAVE THE LANDING GEAR WORN AREA SANDED AND REPAINTED.  ACFT RERIGGED, VERY MINOR CHANGE, TEST FLOWN AND RETURNED TO SERVICE PER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OWNER AND ENGINEER OF PK FLOATS.

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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