OpenAirDocs.org

20130328003619I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-310 · Charleston, WV · March 28, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
March 28, 2013 · 11:03 local
Place
Charleston, WV
Airport
Yeager
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N476HS
Reported as
Piper PA-31-310
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
379 total39 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N476HSRegistration cancelled Feb 16, 2018 · Piper PA-31-310S/N 31-633 · Built 1970Airframe modelPiper PA-31-310Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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 was enroute in VMC conditions from martinsburg / eastern WV regional airport (mrb)to a site approximately 7 miles sw of Charleston Yeager Airport (crw), WV for the purpose of aerial mapping with an onboard camera system and cameraman. Approximately 60 miles from crw and at 10,500 feet AGL he experienced a problem with the left engine of which there was no EGT indication and the manifold pressure indicated low. He diverted to Charleston/Yeager Airport (crw), WV to have maintenance look at the issue. He was able to maintain power with the left engine in cruise and during the approach. During the approach sequence the pilot neglected to put the landing gear handle completely down - only to mid position, did not verify three green landing gear indicators, and the landing gear remained retracted. The landing gear warning horn did sound but the pilot thought it was the stall warning horn. The pilot landed the aircraft with the gear retracted on runway 23. The aircraft propellers sustained damage and the underside of the aircraft sustained minor damage. The pilot noted some smoke in the cockpit prior to exiting the aircraft, however no fire was present. The pilot and cameraman were unhurt.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ENROUTE IN VMC CONDITIONS FROM MARTINSBURG / EASTERN WV REGIONAL AIRPORT (MRB)TO A SITE APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES SW OF CHARLESTON YEAGER AIRPORT (CRW), WV FOR THE PURPOSE OF AERIAL MAPPING WITH AN ONBOARD CAMERA SYSTEM AND CAMERAMAN. APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES FROM CRW AND AT 10,500 FEET AGL HE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT ENGINE OF WHICH THERE WAS NO EGT INDICATION AND THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE INDICATED LOW. HE DIVERTED TO CHARLESTON/YEAGER AIRPORT (CRW), WV TO HAVE MAINTENANCE LOOK AT THE ISSUE. HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN POWER WITH THE LEFT ENGINE IN CRUISE AND DURING THE APPROACH. DURING THE APPROACH SEQUENCE THE PILOT NEGLECTED TO PUT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE COMPLETELY DOWN - ONLY TO MID POSITION, DID NOT VERIFY THREE GREEN LANDING GEAR INDICATORS, AND THE LANDING GEAR REMAINED RETRACTED. THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN DID SOUND BUT THE PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS THE STALL WARNING HORN. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED ON RUNWAY 23. THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLERS SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT NOTED SOME SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, HOWEVER NO FIRE WAS PRESENT. THE PILOT AND CAMERAMAN WERE UNHURT.