What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 23, 2014 aircraft N2146G landed at genesee county airport in Batavia, NY (gvq) without the landing gear extended. There was no post-landing fire or injuries. The only person onboard was the pilotprivacy data omitted of the aircraft.
On December 3, 2014 inspectors from this office traveled to gvq to inspect the aircraft for damage related to the incident and interview the pilotprivacy data omitted. The pilotprivacy data omitted stated that the intent of the flight that day was a flight-after-maintenance. He stated that after 2 high-speed taxi runs to check braking conditions, he elected to take-off for a flight around the pattern. The gear retracted normally.
While on the down-wind leg of the landing the pilotprivacy data omitted attempted to extend the landing gear. The pilot stated that the gear did not extend, he then tried again in override and it still did not extend. At that point of the flight, the pilotprivacy data omitted stated that he did not have time or altitude to try anything else and elected to land the aircraft on its belly with the gear retracted.
The pilotprivacy data omitted stated that after the gear-up landing, he contacted his mechanic. He and the mechanic removed the aircraft from the runway by means of a forklift, lifting bolts and straps. The aircraft was moved to its t-hangar on the gvq airport.
The pilotprivacy data omitted stated that with the aircraft still lifted off the ground, the mechanic opened the engine compartment where the landing gear manual hand pump is located with the anticipation of attempting to pump the gear down. Then he opened the canopy of the cockpit and turned on the master battery switch. At that time the gear doors opened and the landing gear dropped out of the gear wells. They then raised the aircraft up and pumped the gear into the fully extended position. They then placed aircraft jackets under the aircraft.
As of this time, the mechanic has not found any defects with the landing gear system consistent with the failure that occurred during the flight. Troubleshooting will continue.
Noted damage to the aircraft was friction grinding to the aircraft belly panels and inboard trailing edges of the left and right flaps.
The weather at gvq on November 23, 2014 was wind 210@ 10 knots, overcast @ 4,700 feet, altimeter 30.04, temp 6 degrees c, dew point 3 degrees c, visibility greater than 10 miles.
At the time this report was submitted, the mechanic for the aircraft had not found any defects with the landing gear system.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 23, 2014 AIRCRAFT N2146G LANDED AT GENESEE COUNTY AIRPORT IN BATAVIA, NY (GVQ) WITHOUT THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. THERE WAS NO POST-LANDING FIRE OR INJURIES. THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD WAS THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT.
ON DECEMBER 3, 2014 INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE TRAVELED TO GVQ TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT FOR DAMAGE RELATED TO THE INCIDENT AND INTERVIEW THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE INTENT OF THE FLIGHT THAT DAY WAS A FLIGHT-AFTER-MAINTENANCE. HE STATED THAT AFTER 2 HIGH-SPEED TAXI RUNS TO CHECK BRAKING CONDITIONS, HE ELECTED TO TAKE-OFF FOR A FLIGHT AROUND THE PATTERN. THE GEAR RETRACTED NORMALLY.
WHILE ON THE DOWN-WIND LEG OF THE LANDING THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND, HE THEN TRIED AGAIN IN OVERRIDE AND IT STILL DID NOT EXTEND. AT THAT POINT OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TIME OR ALTITUDE TO TRY ANYTHING ELSE AND ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS BELLY WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED.
THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT AFTER THE GEAR-UP LANDING, HE CONTACTED HIS MECHANIC. HE AND THE MECHANIC REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY BY MEANS OF A FORKLIFT, LIFTING BOLTS AND STRAPS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO ITS T-HANGAR ON THE GVQ AIRPORT.
THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT WITH THE AIRCRAFT STILL LIFTED OFF THE GROUND, THE MECHANIC OPENED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHERE THE LANDING GEAR MANUAL HAND PUMP IS LOCATED WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF ATTEMPTING TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THEN HE OPENED THE CANOPY OF THE COCKPIT AND TURNED ON THE MASTER BATTERY SWITCH. AT THAT TIME THE GEAR DOORS OPENED AND THE LANDING GEAR DROPPED OUT OF THE GEAR WELLS. THEY THEN RAISED THE AIRCRAFT UP AND PUMPED THE GEAR INTO THE FULLY EXTENDED POSITION. THEY THEN PLACED AIRCRAFT JACKETS UNDER THE AIRCRAFT.
AS OF THIS TIME, THE MECHANIC HAS NOT FOUND ANY DEFECTS WITH THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM CONSISTENT WITH THE FAILURE THAT OCCURRED DURING THE FLIGHT. TROUBLESHOOTING WILL CONTINUE.
NOTED DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS FRICTION GRINDING TO THE AIRCRAFT BELLY PANELS AND INBOARD TRAILING EDGES OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT FLAPS.
THE WEATHER AT GVQ ON NOVEMBER 23, 2014 WAS WIND 210@ 10 KNOTS, OVERCAST @ 4,700 FEET, ALTIMETER 30.04, TEMP 6 DEGREES C, DEW POINT 3 DEGREES C, VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MILES.
AT THE TIME THIS REPORT WAS SUBMITTED, THE MECHANIC FOR THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FOUND ANY DEFECTS WITH THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM.