20130721012899I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Reno, NV · July 21, 2013

Date: July 21, 2013 · 18:15 local
Place: Reno, NV
Airport: Reno/Tahoe International
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N441RV
Reported as: Piper PA-23-250
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,713 total434 in this make and model138 in the last 90 days

N441RVRegistration cancelled Sep 8, 2017 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-379 · Built 1961 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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 it was a normal approach and landing on runway 25; he had lowered the landing gear and verifying he had three green gear lights. During the touch down the main gear touched down first as he lowered the nose wheel it touch and then felt like the gear collapsed, he then heard the propellers starting to hit the ground and immediately shut down the engines.

A Reno tower operator was watching the approach and landing through binoculars and verified the gear appeared down prior to the touched down and subsequent collapse.

No injuries to the pilot the only occupant.

Visible damage to the aircraft is minor, flaps, cabin entrance step and propellers.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED IT WAS A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING ON RUNWAY 25; HE HAD LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND VERIFYING HE HAD THREE GREEN GEAR LIGHTS. DURING THE TOUCH DOWN THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST AS HE LOWERED THE NOSE WHEEL IT TOUCH AND THEN FELT LIKE THE GEAR COLLAPSED, HE THEN HEARD THE PROPELLERS STARTING TO HIT THE GROUND AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES.

A RENO TOWER OPERATOR WAS WATCHING THE APPROACH AND LANDING THROUGH BINOCULARS AND VERIFIED THE GEAR APPEARED DOWN PRIOR TO THE TOUCHED DOWN AND SUBSEQUENT COLLAPSE.

NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT THE ONLY OCCUPANT.

VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS MINOR, FLAPS, CABIN ENTRANCE STEP AND PROPELLERS.