20120224003029I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Denton, TX · February 24, 2012

Date: February 24, 2012 · 08:30 local
Place: Denton, TX
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator: U9FS
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4855T
Reported as: Piper PA-34-200
Reported engine: Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,695 total295 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

N4855TRegistered now · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7250159 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200 Engine modelLycoming I0360 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.

This office has concluded an investigation of an incident that occurred during a training flight at the Denton municipal airport (kdto) on February 24, 2012. The instructor and student pilot failed to follow the landing checklist, which resulted in the gear up landing. A post incident inspection of the aircraft's landing gear system did not show any failure of the gear components. Contributing to the incident was the crew's diverted attention while following ATCT instructions for a short approach because of the traffic flow. This factor and the sun shining on the gear indicator lights caused the instructor to think the lights were illuminated. The instructor did not take the time to shield the three green lights from the sun to verify the gear was down.

As the FAA filed it

THIS OFFICE HAS CONCLUDED AN INVESTIGATION OF AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT AT THE DENTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KDTO) ON FEBRUARY 24, 2012. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT FAILED TO FOLLOW THE LANDING CHECKLIST, WHICH RESULTED IN THE GEAR UP LANDING. A POST INCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING GEAR SYSTEM DID NOT SHOW ANY FAILURE OF THE GEAR COMPONENTS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE INCIDENT WAS THE CREW'S DIVERTED ATTENTION WHILE FOLLOWING ATCT INSTRUCTIONS FOR A SHORT APPROACH BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC FLOW. THIS FACTOR AND THE SUN SHINING ON THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS CAUSED THE INSTRUCTOR TO THINK THE LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT TAKE THE TIME TO SHIELD THE THREE GREEN LIGHTS FROM THE SUN TO VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN.