# Incident 20131010021659I: Bell P-63F, Midland, TX, October 10, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 10, 2013, 13:30 local time
- Place: Midland, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.9973° N, 102.0779° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Midland, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.9973&lon=-102.0779&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6763, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6763-2023-07-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell P-63F (registry code 1180209, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-p-63f) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Allison V1710 series (registry code 03040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/allison-v1710-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL P-63F
- Reported engine: ALLISON V1710 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,600 total, 750 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20131010021659I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE FUEL SELECTOR LINKAGE HAD BEEN WORKED ON BECAUSE IT WAS BINDING, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SWITCH FUEL TANKS.  THE WRITE-UP WAS CLEARED BY MAINTENANCE, BUT THE PILOT COULD NOT SWITCH FUEL TANKS DURING THIS FLIGHT AND DIVERTED INTO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT. DURING THE DIVERT AND PRECAUTIONARY LANDING, THE PILOT FAILED TO SLOW THE AIRPLANE IN THE DECENT AND HAD EXCESS SPEED ON THE APPROACH.  THIS CAUSED HIM TO DELAY EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR UNTIL HE DISSIPATED EXCESS AIRSPEED.  THE DELAY DID NOT ALLOW SUFFICIENT TIME TO FULLY CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH COLLAPSED UPON LANDING.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.