20110408006729I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech A36 · Martinsburg, PA · April 8, 2011

Date: April 8, 2011 · 20:02 local
Place: Martinsburg, PA
Airport: Altoona Blair County Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1886W
Reported as: Beech A36
Reported engine: Continental IO-520 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,000 total590 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

N1886WRegistered now · Beech A36S/N E-441 · Built 1973 Airframe modelBeech A36 Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

Aircraft landed gear up on runway 21 at Altoona Blair County Airport; no injuries occurred to either the pilot or the 2 passengers on board. The aircraft suffered minor damage. Pilot stated he was developing ice enroute from kacy to kbmg. He stated that he decided to divert due to ice. Diversion airport was kaoo via cleveland center. Pilot stated that ceiling was 900 feet and gear was not down. He decided to land rather than execute a missed approach because he did not want to go back into the weather. Later he stated that he put the gear down at 2500 MSL but did not have three green gear indicator lights. He cycled the gear handle two more times to no avail.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 21 AT ALTOONA BLAIR COUNTY AIRPORT; NO INJURIES OCCURRED TO EITHER THE PILOT OR THE 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE. PILOT STATED HE WAS DEVELOPING ICE ENROUTE FROM KACY TO KBMG. HE STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO DIVERT DUE TO ICE. DIVERSION AIRPORT WAS KAOO VIA CLEVELAND CENTER. PILOT STATED THAT CEILING WAS 900 FEET AND GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. HE DECIDED TO LAND RATHER THAN EXECUTE A MISSED APPROACH BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK INTO THE WEATHER. LATER HE STATED THAT HE PUT THE GEAR DOWN AT 2500 MSL BUT DID NOT HAVE THREE GREEN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS. HE CYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE TWO MORE TIMES TO NO AVAIL.