# Accident 20110710015649A: Piper PA-30, Plant City, FL, July 10, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 10, 2011, 14:40 local time
- Place: Plant City, FL
- Airport: Plant City Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.0000° N, 82.1631° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0000&lon=-82.1631&mi=10
- Aircraft: N325EE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N325EE-2018-01-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total, 40 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11CA396](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11CA396) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110710015649A

## Narrative

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

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ALIGNMENT ROLLER FAILED AND DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT ALLOWING THE NOSE GEAR TO TURN AND JAM IN THE WHEEL WELL WHEN IT WAS RETRACTED.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

## 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 ERA11CA396](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11CA396), Jul 10, 2011: Piper PA-30 (N325EE), Plant City, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of a screw in the nose landing gear aligner assembly for undetermined reasons, which prevented the landing gear from fully extending.

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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