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20120302003679A

Accident · Minor damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Roanoke, TX · March 2, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 2, 2012 · 14:15 local
Place
Roanoke, TX
Airport
Northwest Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N373JT
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN12LA204
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total1,500 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N373JTRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2015 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-850 · Built 1965Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine 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.

3/2/12: Responded to a call from the airport manager of 52F regarding an aircraft that had just landed gear up on the runway. Arrived on scene as iic at 15:15 LCL. Aircraft was a Piper twin commanche, PA-30 that was off the runway with it's gear partially retracted. There were skid marks originating from about 500' from runway threshold, then vearing right of centerline, then back to the left and across the center line into the grass where the aircraft lay. Scrapes on the runway from the propeller and landing gear doors aren't evident until further down from touchdown point suggesting gear collapsed during rollout. Pilot was the sole occupant and was not injured. Examination of aircraft exterior damage shows both propellor tips curled, pitot tube damaged, landing gear doors damaged, and aircraft belly skin damage. Examination of aircraft interior shows all electrical switches in the off position, mixture controls at cut-off position, fuel selector valves off, and landing gear lever in the down position. The gear motor and transmission, located under the gear access cover, was torn from its attachment point. An interview with the pilot indicates that the aircraft lost electrical power enroute due to a fauly alternator. Pilot selected gear lever down, and verified nose gear down with cowl mirror. Since there was no electrical power, pilot could not verify gear was locked down using normal gear indicators. Pilot admitted that he did not use the emergency gear extension procedure to ensure gear was locked down.03/26/12: upgraded to accident due to damage to the spar caused by the gear motor and transmission mount.

As the FAA filed it

3/2/12: RESPONDED TO A CALL FROM THE AIRPORT MANAGER OF 52F REGARDING AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED GEAR UP ON THE RUNWAY. ARRIVED ON SCENE AS IIC AT 15:15 LCL. AIRCRAFT WAS A PIPER TWIN COMMANCHE, PA-30 THAT WAS OFF THE RUNWAY WITH IT'S GEAR PARTIALLY RETRACTED. THERE WERE SKID MARKS ORIGINATING FROM ABOUT 500' FROM RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THEN VEARING RIGHT OF CENTERLINE, THEN BACK TO THE LEFT AND ACROSS THE CENTER LINE INTO THE GRASS WHERE THE AIRCRAFT LAY. SCRAPES ON THE RUNWAY FROM THE PROPELLER AND LANDING GEAR DOORS AREN'T EVIDENT UNTIL FURTHER DOWN FROM TOUCHDOWN POINT SUGGESTING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING ROLLOUT. PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS NOT INJURED. EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT EXTERIOR DAMAGE SHOWS BOTH PROPELLOR TIPS CURLED, PITOT TUBE DAMAGED, LANDING GEAR DOORS DAMAGED, AND AIRCRAFT BELLY SKIN DAMAGE. EXAMINATION OF AIRCRAFT INTERIOR SHOWS ALL ELECTRICAL SWITCHES IN THE OFF POSITION, MIXTURE CONTROLS AT CUT-OFF POSITION, FUEL SELECTOR VALVES OFF, AND LANDING GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION, LOCATED UNDER THE GEAR ACCESS COVER, WAS TORN FROM ITS ATTACHMENT POINT.AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOST ELECTRICAL POWER ENROUTE DUE TO A FAULY ALTERNATOR. PILOT SELECTED GEAR LEVER DOWN, AND VERIFIED NOSE GEAR DOWN WITH COWL MIRROR. SINCE THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER, PILOT COULD NOT VERIFY GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN USING NORMAL GEAR INDICATORS. PILOT ADMITTED THAT HE DID NOT USE THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE TO ENSURE GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN.03/26/12: UPGRADED TO ACCIDENT DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE SPAR CAUSED BY THE GEAR MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION MOUNT.

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 CEN12LA204Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRoanoke, TXThe pilot’s failure to follow the published emergency procedures to lower the landing gear following a loss of electrical power.Mar 2, 2012 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N373JT · 2

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

Incident 20020323003629ILevel Off Touchdown · Tucson, AZ(-23) On 23 March 2002 at approximately 1 p.m. local time I observed a Piper PA-30 twin comanche laying on its belly on runway 24. Tucson airport authority personnel were already at the aircraft. I contacted Ryan tower via telephone and obtained clearance to…Mar 23, 2002 · Minor damageIncident 19980517018119ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Tucson, AZSmoke from NR1 com on climbout. Returned. Found burnt capacitor.May 17, 1998 · Minor damage