What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 5/19/2013 at 1330, a Piper PA-32R, N8197W, experienced a mechanical irregularity while en-route from brown field san diego California to phoenix ?mesa gateway airport mesa Arizona (kiwa). The pilot elected to divert to and land at (P19), Stellar Airpark Chandler Arizona. The pilot reports making a straight in approach to runway 35 at P19.
The aircraft skid marks from the left and right main tires were found and begin approximately 2900 feet from the approach end of runway 35. The skid marks appear to exit the runway to the east with the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest in the grass between the runway and parallel taxiway on the east side of runway 35 approximately 500 feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft was recovered and moved to a local P19 tie down. The right wing leading edge, the RH flap hinges, RH flap trailing edge and RH aileron were substantially damaged by contact with a runway edge light. There is minor damage to the RH wing tip. All three blades of the propeller were substantially damaged by contact with the ground.
The propeller's point of contact with the ground (runway) could not be determined. The forward portion of the left hand, nose landing gear door was bent along the hinge line with no other visible damage to the aircraft forward fuselage or engine cowling area.
During the post recovery investigation the landing gear system was tested for both normal operations and emergency extension operations with no findings. The left main tire displayed wear consistent with side load skidding on the inboard side of the tire.
The aircraft electrical system was tested. The alternator field voltage measured at zero and the alternator output voltage measured at zero. The aircraft main battery was charged to 12 volts and discharged to 10 volts within 1 hour without a load. The aircraft maintenance records were reviewed with no findings.
The pilot stated that about 1 hour and ten minutes into the flight he noticed the ammeter indicating zero and the radios becoming hard to hear with static. The pilot then? Turned everything off to save battery life?.
At approximately 40 NM from kiwa the pilot states the he was unable to communicate with kiwa control tower and diverted to Stellar Airpark, P-19 (an uncontrolled field).
The pilot states he initiated a straight in approach to runway 35 at P-19 and that he put the gear down and ?cycled the emergency landing gear? And landed on the main gear without incident, but when the nose came down the propeller struck the ground and then he lifted the nose back up and ?kept it up as long as possible. When the nose came back down it was on the wheel and the aircraft went off into the grass.?
Pilot stated he holds a current third class medical certificate but could not produce it at the time of the interview.
As the FAA filed it
ON 5/19/2013 AT 1330, A PIPER PA-32R, N8197W, EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY WHILE EN-ROUTE FROM BROWN FIELD SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA TO PHOENIX ?MESA GATEWAY AIRPORT MESA ARIZONA (KIWA). THE PILOT ELECTED TO DIVERT TO AND LAND AT (P19), STELLAR AIRPARK CHANDLER ARIZONA. THE PILOT REPORTS MAKING A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35 AT P19.
THE AIRCRAFT SKID MARKS FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN TIRES WERE FOUND AND BEGIN APPROXIMATELY 2900 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 35. THE SKID MARKS APPEAR TO EXIT THE RUNWAY TO THE EAST WITH THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND PARALLEL TAXIWAY ON THE EAST SIDE OF RUNWAY 35 APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND MOVED TO A LOCAL P19 TIE DOWN. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE, THE RH FLAP HINGES, RH FLAP TRAILING EDGE AND RH AILERON WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH A RUNWAY EDGE LIGHT. THERE IS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RH WING TIP. ALL THREE BLADES OF THE PROPELLER WERE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.
THE PROPELLER'S POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE GROUND (RUNWAY) COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE LEFT HAND, NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR WAS BENT ALONG THE HINGE LINE WITH NO OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD FUSELAGE OR ENGINE COWLING AREA.
DURING THE POST RECOVERY INVESTIGATION THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS TESTED FOR BOTH NORMAL OPERATIONS AND EMERGENCY EXTENSION OPERATIONS WITH NO FINDINGS. THE LEFT MAIN TIRE DISPLAYED WEAR CONSISTENT WITH SIDE LOAD SKIDDING ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE TIRE.
THE AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS TESTED. THE ALTERNATOR FIELD VOLTAGE MEASURED AT ZERO AND THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT VOLTAGE MEASURED AT ZERO. THE AIRCRAFT MAIN BATTERY WAS CHARGED TO 12 VOLTS AND DISCHARGED TO 10 VOLTS WITHIN 1 HOUR WITHOUT A LOAD. THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE REVIEWED WITH NO FINDINGS.
THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT 1 HOUR AND TEN MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT HE NOTICED THE AMMETER INDICATING ZERO AND THE RADIOS BECOMING HARD TO HEAR WITH STATIC. THE PILOT THEN? TURNED EVERYTHING OFF TO SAVE BATTERY LIFE?.
AT APPROXIMATELY 40 NM FROM KIWA THE PILOT STATES THE HE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH KIWA CONTROL TOWER AND DIVERTED TO STELLAR AIRPARK, P-19 (AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD).
THE PILOT STATES HE INITIATED A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35 AT P-19 AND THAT HE PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND ?CYCLED THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR? AND LANDED ON THE MAIN GEAR WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT WHEN THE NOSE CAME DOWN THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND AND THEN HE LIFTED THE NOSE BACK UP AND ?KEPT IT UP AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. WHEN THE NOSE CAME BACK DOWN IT WAS ON THE WHEEL AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF INTO THE GRASS.?
PILOT STATED HE HOLDS A CURRENT THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE BUT COULD NOT PRODUCE IT AT THE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8197W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.