20110710015649A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Plant City, FL · July 10, 2011

Date: July 10, 2011 · 14:40 local
Place: Plant City, FL
Airport: Plant City Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N325EE
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11CA396
Reported as: Piper PA-30
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,000 total40 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N325EERegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2018 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-1537 · Built 1967 Airframe modelPiper PA-30 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 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 was unable to lower landing gear after accomplishing 3 touch and go's.

Pilots attempted to lower the gear using the POH alternate method with no luck.

Pilots orbited pcm for approximately 30 minutes while talking with mechanics via radio attempting several procedures to lower the gear.

At approximately 1445 the pilot elected to land gear up.

The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar from the initial impact upon landing.

The main gear was partially deployed and collapsed upon landing.

Both propellers struck the ground while rotating.

Pilot written statement is on file at north Florida tampa FSDO.

Investigation revealed the nose gear alignment roller failed and departed the aircraft allowing the nose gear to turn and jam in the wheel well when it was retracted.

This is an electro mechanical system controlled by push rods and teleflex cables therefore if one wheel is jammed, the remaining wheels will not deploy.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER LANDING GEAR AFTER ACCOMPLISHING 3 TOUCH AND GO'S.

PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR USING THE POH ALTERNATE METHOD WITH NO LUCK.

PILOTS ORBITED PCM FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES WHILE TALKING WITH MECHANICS VIA RADIO ATTEMPTING SEVERAL PROCEDURES TO LOWER THE GEAR.

AT APPROXIMATELY 1445 THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND GEAR UP.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT UPON LANDING.

THE MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY DEPLOYED AND COLLAPSED UPON LANDING.

BOTH PROPELLERS STRUCK THE GROUND WHILE ROTATING.

PILOT WRITTEN STATEMENT IS ON FILE AT NORTH FLORIDA TAMPA FSDO.

INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE NOSE GEAR ALIGNMENT ROLLER FAILED AND DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWING THE NOSE GEAR TO TURN AND JAM IN THE WHEEL WELL WHEN IT WAS RETRACTED.

THIS IS AN ELECTRO MECHANICAL SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY PUSH RODS AND TELEFLEX CABLES THEREFORE IF ONE WHEEL IS JAMMED, THE REMAINING WHEELS WILL NOT DEPLOY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA11CA396Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPlant City, FLThe failure of a screw in the nose landing gear aligner assembly for undetermined reasons, which prevented the landing gear from fully extending.Jul 10, 2011 · Substantial damage