# Accident 20110625013009A: Piper PA-28R-201, Rantoul, IL, June 25, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 25, 2011, 11:00 local time
- Place: Rantoul, IL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.2936° N, 88.1425° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2936&lon=-88.1425&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4106Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4106Q) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201 (registry code 7102816, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-201
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 548 total, 547 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN11LA418](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA418) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110625013009A

## Narrative

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

ON 06/25/2011 AT THE RANTOUL, IL AIRPORT (TIP) A PIPER PA-28R-201 LANDED GEAR UP. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HOLDER OF A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE # ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS AT THE CONTROLS WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD.AFTER TAKE OFF THE PILOT SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR TO THE UP POSITION. THE PILOT NOTICED A GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT AFTER SELECTING THE GEAR UP. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED SEVERAL TIMES TO CYCLE THE GEAR WITHOUT SUCESS. A DECISION WAS MADE BY THE PILOT TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY GEAR UP LANDING BACK AT RANTOUL. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE STRUCTRUAL DAMAGE FROM THE BELLY IN LANDING AND DAMAGE WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY THE LEFT WING IMPACTING AND KNOCKING OFF A RUNWAY LIGHT AND POST. THE AIRPORT MANAGER WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT INDICATED THAT HE LOOKED IN THE COCKPIT WHEN HE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS AND HE OBSERVED THE GEAR HANDLE IN WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS A MID POSITION, NEITHER ALL THE WAY UP OR DOWN.THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE RUNWAY BY LIFTING IT ONTO A TRAILER AND SUPPORTED BY OLD AUTO TIRESAND PLACED IN THE FBO HANGAR.THIS INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT THE FBO HANGAR AND BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE DAMAGE TO IT AS WELL AS TROUBLESHOOTING THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILURE TO RETRACT ISSUE.THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED OFF THE TRAILER USING AIRCRAFT JACKS AND THE TRAILER WAS REMOVED. A MORE DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE DAMAGE WAS THEN CONDUCTED RESULTING IN THE FINDINGS OF STRUCTRUAL DAMAGE THEREBY CLASSIFYING THIS AS AN ACCIDENT. THE AICRAFT WAS POWERED UP AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS SELECTED TO THE DOWN POSITION, THE ONLY REACTION TO THE GEAR BEING SELECTED DOWN WAS THE AUDIBLE SOUND OF THE SOLENOID ENGAGING BUT THE GEAR DID NOT MOVE NOR DID THE GEAR PUMP OPERATE. AN INSPECTION WAS MADE OF THE GEAR MOTOR WHICH SHOWED THAT THE MOTOR BRUSHES WE COMPLETELY DESTROYED, ALL THAT REMAINED WAS DUST AND DEBRIS FROM THE BRUSHES.AT THIS POINT THE GEAR EMERGENCY LEVER WAS ACTUATED AND ALL THREE LANDING GEAR DEPLOYED SMOOTHLY AND RAPIDLY INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION WITH A VISUAL INDICATION OF THREE IN THE GREEN IN THE COCKPIT.THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LOWERED TO ITS GEAR AFTER DOUBLE CHECKING THE GEAR FOR SECURITY. AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE CHECK LIST, WHICH WAS ON BOARD, NOR DID HE THINK TO TRY THE EMERGENCY GEAR HANDLE BEFORE COMMITING TO LANGING WITH THE GEAR UP. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION AND HIS REGULATORY PILOT RECURRENT EVENTS WERE MET.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN11LA418](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA418), Jun 25, 2011: Piper PA-28R-201 (N4106Q), Rantoul, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot did not use the emergency landing gear extension system, which resulted in a wheels-up landing. Contributing to the accident was the inoperative landing gear power pack motor.

## Other reports on N4106Q (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19841203068839I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841203068839I), Dec 3, 1984: Piper PA28R201 (N4106Q), Manassas, VA, Minor damage. Pilot placed auto extend in override position. Failed to extend gear for landing.

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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