20131020021939I

ON 10/22/2013 THE TEB FSDO RECEIVED A CALL THAT N8560Y, A PIPER PA-30, HAD A GEAR PROBLEM AND COLLAPSED ON LANDING ON RUNWAY 1 AT THE LINCOLN PARK AIRPORT IN LINCOLN PARK, NJ. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THE PILOT, WHO WAS IDENTIFIED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COMMERCIAL PILOT CERT NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATED, "I WAS DEPARTING FOR A FLIGHT TO MONTAUK POINT, N.Y. (KMTP). AFTER REACHING 80 MPH, I ROTATED AND BECAME AIRBORNE. AT 75 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE PASSENGER DOOR POPPED OPEN. A BLANKET, WHICH WAS ON THE RIGHT SEAT, WAS PARTIALLY SUCKED OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN TO TRAIL ALONG THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. I MAINTAINED 100 MPH. THE AIRFRAME WAS BUFFETING SIGNIFICANTLY WITH A SLIGHT YAW TO THE RIGHT. AT 100 MPH, THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO CLIMB PERFORMANCE. AT THAT POINT I WAS AT LESS THAN 150' ABOVE THE GROUND. AFTER I FELT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS STABLE, I RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. I BEGAN TO SEE A RATE OF CLIMB OF ONLY 150-200' PER MINUTE. I STARTED A SLOW RIGHT TURN TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY. THE DOOR REMAINED OPEN (IT WAS WIDE OPEN AND NOT IN TRAIL) AND THE BLANKET PREVENTED ME FROM ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE IT. THE AIRFRAME WAS BUFFETING TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE SOME OF THE FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS AND WOULD INCREASE IF THE AIRSPEED WAS LOWERED BELOW 100 MPH. I LINED UP FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 1. AT THAT POINT, MY ALTITUDE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4-500'AGL. I CONTINUED ON APPROACH AND ADDED FLAPS TO LOWER AIRSPEED TO 90 MPH, BUT I DECIDED TO HOLD THE LANDING GEAR UNTIL I WAS ASSURED OF LANDING. WHEN I WAS OVER THE TREELINE (APPROXIMATELY 150' FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY), I ACTIVATED THE LANDING GEAR. AT THAT POINT, I EXPERIENCED WIND SHEAR WHICH INCREASED MY RATE OF DESCENT. I AM SURE THAT I LANDED ON THE MAIN WHEELS, BUT SHORTLY AFTERWARD, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS NOT SECURE AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE UNTIL THE BELLY WAS ON THE RUNWAY. THERE WAS NO FIRE, ALTHOUGH SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT. I WAS UNINJURED".

ON 10/25/2013 A TEAM OF INSPECTORS WAS SENT TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT AND TO INTERVIEW THE PILOT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUBSTANCIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPELLERS AND TO THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE HANGING DOWN FROM THEIR UP AND LOCKED POSITION. THE NOSE GEAR DOOR WAS OPEN AND BOTH DOORS HAVE MINOR DAMAGE TOWARDS THE REAR. THE FLAPS APPEAR TO BE AT LEAST PARTIALLY EXTENDED WITH NO DAMAGE. DURING THE INTERVIEW THE PILOT ALSO PROVIDED THE ABOVE STATEMENT ALONG WITH COPIES OF HIS PILOT LOG BOOKS, CERTIFICATES AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE PURPOSELY WAITED LONGER THAN NORMAL TO EXTEND THE GEAR AS HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN DANGER OF SETTLING INTO THE TREES JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO THE DRAG AND ALREADY DECREASED PERFORMANCE.

A PHONE CALL WAS MADE TO PIPER AIRCRAFT REQUESTING ANY INFORMATION THAT THEY HAD ON HOW THE PA-30 PERFORMS WITH A DOOR THAT POPS OPEN ON TAKE OFF. THE REP STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE PA-30 BUT FELT THAT THE DOOR SHOULD HAVE TRAILED AND THAT THERE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE DOOR REMAINING FULLY OPEN. BECAUSE THIS REP DID NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT HE RECOMMEND THIS OFFICE CONTACT THE PIPER ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OFFICE. THIS OFFICE SPOKE WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT THE PIPER ACCIDENT OFFICE. THE SITUATION WAS EXPLAINED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD NOT EVER HEARD OF THIS BEING A PROBLEM IN THE PAST. ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR IN HIS OFFICE, THAT HAS EXPERIENCE WITH THE PA-30, ALSO STATED THAT THIS HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, THAT IF THE DOOR POPS OPEN ON TAKEOFF IT SHOULD TRAIL AND NOT REMAIN IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION.