# Incident 20120126001409I: Piper PA-34-200T, Suffolk, VA, January 26, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 26, 2012, 09:50 local time
- Place: Suffolk, VA
- Airport: Suffolk Executive
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.6829° N, 76.5996° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SUFFOLK EXEC (SFQ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6829&lon=-76.5996&mi=10
- Aircraft: N111SM, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N111SM) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200T
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 8,000 total, 5,500 in this make and model, 105 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120126001409I

## Narrative

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

WHEN PILOT STARTED THE APPROACH, HE FOUND THAT THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT DEPLOY, THE PILOT THEN LEFT THE PATTERN AND TRIED TO RE CYCLE THE GEAR. THE MAINS DEPLOYED BUT NOT THE NOSE GEAR. HE RECYCLED THE GEAR UP THEN PULLED THE HYDRAULIC PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE. THE MAINS DEPLOYED BUT NOT THE NOSE GEAR.  PILOT THEN ELECTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT AND HE TRIED TO DEPLOY THE GEAR SEVERAL TIMES. THE MAINS WOULD DEPLOY BUT NOT THE NOSE.  WHEN PILOT WAS CLEARED TO MAKE THE APPROACH, THREE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO GET THE GEAR DOWN. THE MAINS DEPLOYED BUT NOT THE NOSE GEAR.  THE LANDING ON THE GRASS WAS NORMAL TILL THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL HIT A DEPRESSION CAUSING THE RIGHT PROP TO DIG IN AND BRAKE OFF. WHILE HE STILL MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND USED THE RIGHT BRAKE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM CROSSING THE TURN OFF RAMP.

## Other reports on N111SM (2)

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

- [Incident 20160202001829I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160202001829I), Feb 2, 2016: Piper PA-34-200T (N111SM), Suffolk, VA, Minor damage. On final, pilot at the controls did not put landing down. Other pilot that was acting as PIC performing other tasks at time. A/c settled down to runway, pilot…
- [Incident 20100510037289I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100510037289I), May 10, 2010: Piper PA-34-200T (N111SM), Portsmouth, VA, Minor damage. Pilot became distracted due to the new avionics installed in the aircraft and forgot to lower the landing gear prior to touchdown. The aircraft landed gear up.

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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