What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
June 12, 2015
Pilot report of incident
On June 11, 2015 at approximately 23:10 zulu, I back taxied runway 17 for departure on a routine solo practice flight. I completed the engine run-up with no problems. Oil pressure in the normal range at 2000 RPM, alternator at amperage with avionics and strobes on, suction at 5 inches, 50 RPM drop on each magneto and prop cycled 3 times. At this time I announced departure to the west via runway 17, turned on fuel pump and landing light and entered the runway after all clear visual check of airspace. The throttle was increased to full (27 inches) with max prop RPM. The nose wheel was lifted at 70 mph and climb speed of 95 mph achieved. Landing gear retracted at 50 feet AGL and airspeed increased to 100MPH. Once reaching 300 feet AGL I reduced throttle to 25 inches and prop RPM to 2500 and continued to climb to 500 AGL at which point I turned off the fuel pump and landing light and began a turn to the west (heading 270) while climbing to 2500 MSL. While climbing to altitude I began to notice that the beeping noise form my strobes was beginning to be prolonged as if a record was playing to slow. A quick check of the gauges showed that the alternator draw was no longer working. I made a 180 turn to heading of 90 to enter downwind leg for landing at runway 17. At this point I turned the strobe lights off to conserve power and checked all circuit breakers (no breakers were tripped). At this point I had crossed the runway and was at pattern elevation. I entered the downwind leg, checked for proper air speed (less than 120 mph) and activated the landing gear system. At this time my radios went silent but I felt and heard the click as the landing gear doors opened and felt the bump that the gear normally makes when going into landing configuration, although due to lack of electrical systems no affirmative landing gear lights were illuminated. As I neared the end of the runway I applied 10 degree flaps and continued my approach to the runway. I turned to base leg and applied 25 degrees of flaps while slowing to 85 mph landing speed. As I turned to final and applied full flaps, I noted a bi-plane had not yet cleared the active runway. I applied full throttle and circled back to the downwind leg for a second attempt at the landing. As I entered the final approach with flaps fully extended and glide speed of 85 mph, I prayed lord let the gear be down. As I came down the runway on glide path, I began to flare a couple of feet above the runway. The plane began to settle down and I pulled back on the throttle. The prop hit then the plane began to skid straight down the runway coming to a stop about 800 feet from touchdown point. While sliding I had turned the ignition off and removed the key as well as pulled the mixture to full lean. Once the plane came to a stop, I quickly removed all seat belts and exited the plane. After leaving the plane I proceeded to the FBO to make sure the proper authorities were notified of the incident.
FAA investigation of aircraft revealed little damage to the airframe fuselage and inboard flap areas. Some damage was made to the engine exhaust stacks. The aircraft propeller was bent by sudden stoppage contact with the ground. The engine mounts and firewall appeared to be un damaged.
As the FAA filed it
JUNE 12, 2015
PILOT REPORT OF INCIDENT
ON JUNE 11, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 23:10 ZULU, I BACK TAXIED RUNWAY 17 FOR DEPARTURE ON A ROUTINE SOLO PRACTICE FLIGHT. I COMPLETED THE ENGINE RUN-UP WITH NO PROBLEMS. OIL PRESSURE IN THE NORMAL RANGE AT 2000 RPM, ALTERNATOR AT AMPERAGE WITH AVIONICS AND STROBES ON, SUCTION AT 5 INCHES, 50 RPM DROP ON EACH MAGNETO AND PROP CYCLED 3 TIMES. AT THIS TIME I ANNOUNCED DEPARTURE TO THE WEST VIA RUNWAY 17, TURNED ON FUEL PUMP AND LANDING LIGHT AND ENTERED THE RUNWAY AFTER ALL CLEAR VISUAL CHECK OF AIRSPACE. THE THROTTLE WAS INCREASED TO FULL (27 INCHES) WITH MAX PROP RPM. THE NOSE WHEEL WAS LIFTED AT 70 MPH AND CLIMB SPEED OF 95 MPH ACHIEVED. LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AT 50 FEET AGL AND AIRSPEED INCREASED TO 100MPH. ONCE REACHING 300 FEET AGL I REDUCED THROTTLE TO 25 INCHES AND PROP RPM TO 2500 AND CONTINUED TO CLIMB TO 500 AGL AT WHICH POINT I TURNED OFF THE FUEL PUMP AND LANDING LIGHT AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE WEST (HEADING 270) WHILE CLIMBING TO 2500 MSL. WHILE CLIMBING TO ALTITUDE I BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT THE BEEPING NOISE FORM MY STROBES WAS BEGINNING TO BE PROLONGED AS IF A RECORD WAS PLAYING TO SLOW. A QUICK CHECK OF THE GAUGES SHOWED THAT THE ALTERNATOR DRAW WAS NO LONGER WORKING. I MADE A 180 TURN TO HEADING OF 90 TO ENTER DOWNWIND LEG FOR LANDING AT RUNWAY 17. AT THIS POINT I TURNED THE STROBE LIGHTS OFF TO CONSERVE POWER AND CHECKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS (NO BREAKERS WERE TRIPPED). AT THIS POINT I HAD CROSSED THE RUNWAY AND WAS AT PATTERN ELEVATION. I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG, CHECKED FOR PROPER AIR SPEED (LESS THAN 120 MPH) AND ACTIVATED THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM. AT THIS TIME MY RADIOS WENT SILENT BUT I FELT AND HEARD THE CLICK AS THE LANDING GEAR DOORS OPENED AND FELT THE BUMP THAT THE GEAR NORMALLY MAKES WHEN GOING INTO LANDING CONFIGURATION, ALTHOUGH DUE TO LACK OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS NO AFFIRMATIVE LANDING GEAR LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. AS I NEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY I APPLIED 10 DEGREE FLAPS AND CONTINUED MY APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY. I TURNED TO BASE LEG AND APPLIED 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS WHILE SLOWING TO 85 MPH LANDING SPEED. AS I TURNED TO FINAL AND APPLIED FULL FLAPS, I NOTED A BI-PLANE HAD NOT YET CLEARED THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. I APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND CIRCLED BACK TO THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR A SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE LANDING. AS I ENTERED THE FINAL APPROACH WITH FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED AND GLIDE SPEED OF 85 MPH, I PRAYED LORD LET THE GEAR BE DOWN. AS I CAME DOWN THE RUNWAY ON GLIDE PATH, I BEGAN TO FLARE A COUPLE OF FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE PLANE BEGAN TO SETTLE DOWN AND I PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE. THE PROP HIT THEN THE PLANE BEGAN TO SKID STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY COMING TO A STOP ABOUT 800 FEET FROM TOUCHDOWN POINT. WHILE SLIDING I HAD TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY AS WELL AS PULLED THE MIXTURE TO FULL LEAN. ONCE THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP, I QUICKLY REMOVED ALL SEAT BELTS AND EXITED THE PLANE. AFTER LEAVING THE PLANE I PROCEEDED TO THE FBO TO MAKE SURE THE PROPER AUTHORITIES WERE NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT.
FAA INVESTIGATION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED LITTLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME FUSELAGE AND INBOARD FLAP AREAS. SOME DAMAGE WAS MADE TO THE ENGINE EXHAUST STACKS. THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER WAS BENT BY SUDDEN STOPPAGE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE ENGINE MOUNTS AND FIREWALL APPEARED TO BE UN DAMAGED.