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20120522009299I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-32RT-300 · Louisville, KY · May 22, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 22, 2012 · 17:17 local
Place
Louisville, KY
Airport
Bowman Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N41EK
Reported as
Piper PA-32RT-300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-KIG5D
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,791 total906 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days
N41EKRegistered now · Piper PA-32RT-300S/N 32R-7885096 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

Pilot stated immediately after takeoff from 4M7, he heard a loud pop (and felt it in his feet through the rudder pedals). Pilot attempted to retract gear. Nose gear indicated unsafe. Ground personnel notified pilot the nose gear did not appear to retract properly. Pilot opted to continue to lou (Bowman Field, KY). Pilot performed two fly bys at lou to confirm with tower if nose gear failed to extend. Tower confirmed. Pilot made decision to retract main gear and land in the grass north of runway 24.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM 4M7, HE HEARD A LOUD POP (AND FELT IT IN HIS FEET THROUGH THE RUDDER PEDALS). PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT GEAR. NOSE GEAR INDICATED UNSAFE. GROUND PERSONNEL NOTIFIED PILOT THE NOSE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO RETRACT PROPERLY. PILOT OPTED TO CONTINUE TO LOU (BOWMAN FIELD, KY). PILOT PERFORMED TWO FLY BYS AT LOU TO CONFIRM WITH TOWER IF NOSE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. TOWER CONFIRMED. PILOT MADE DECISION TO RETRACT MAIN GEAR AND LAND IN THE GRASS NORTH OF RUNWAY 24.