What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
6/11/15) Pilot reported right MLG collapsed on landing and roll-out, when landing 29 at Petaluma airport (O69).
Pilot statement indicated routine touch-and-goes, this being the third of the day. He indicated that the traffic pattern got busy with an unexpected aircraft entering from a straight-in approach in addition to the acft in the pattern.
Pilot extended his downwind leg to compensate for potential conflict in the pattern. Pilot turned base, then final and continued approach to landing.
Pilot stated the flare felt normal, and felt like a gentle touchdown. Very quickly after touch-down, the aircraft rolled right, which he believed was the right main gear collapsing, followed by a veer to the right off the runway.
The acft ended up approximately 50-feet off the right side of the runway. The damage appeared to be minor, and the pilot sustained no injuries.
6/11/15) Wsa contacted oak FSDO. Flm jaa joined t-con with NTSB, tealeye cornejo (tc) and Petaluma airport mgr, bob patterson. Conducted preliminary interview of pilot, still at scene, with airport mgr.
NTSB approved move of acft for recovery purposes only. Airport mgr to monitor. Jaa spoke to acft owner, ron mangon & reiterated NTSB limited movement approval.
FAA iic jaa went on-site to determine whether it was an accident or incident (major or minor damage), per NTSB request, prior to release of acft.
Jaa arrived on-scene, photographed and documented damage. Determination made that damage was minor, incident-status was accurate, and notified NTSB. Released acft into owner?s custody for further trouble-shooting and evaluation.
6/11/15) Jaa on-site observed gear swing and t/s to determine functionality of gear, warning horns, throttle and flap position indicators, landing gear indication lights and other relevant factors, components and warnings.
6/14/15) Review of acft records revealed that acft had been appropriately modified per Piper service bulletin 866A (back-up landing gear extender removal) and POH had been revised. Current POH instructions were aboard the acft. At the time of the incident (alerting the pilot that the warning system was not activated at 10 degree flaps and below). Sb 769 was n/a by s/n.
Although the acft recently had maintenance performed on the landing gear system, to include hydraulic pack, landing normal operational check (gear swing) was completed 5 times and emergency extension was completed twice. Following release from maintenance (that included the annual inspection), the acft was flown an additional 10-HRS by experienced company pilots, prior to releasing the acft. Into rental service without incident.
Comprehensive maintenance manual extracts, wiring diagram extracts, POH extracts and acft. Records are on-site in oak FSDO incident file.
6/14/15) During pilot?s extended downwind to accommodate other acft in the pattern that had altered his routine, it is possible that the acft engine power setting on final was above 15IN hg of manifold pressure. In that scenario, the throttle warning horn/light micro-switch would not have been engaged to make the landing gear warning system activate.
The wing flaps were found in the 10 degree position at the acft resting site (selected and actual). With the wing flaps set at only 10 degree position, the flap greater than 10 degree micro-switch would not be engaged to make the landing gear warning system activate.
It is probable that PA28R-200, with high wing-loading, the pilot would have had higher than normal engine power to a fly a long final approach with only 10 degrees of flaps, thus not having any landing gear warning systems activated.
6/15/15) Rjr & jaa conducted counseling with pilot and closed investigation without further action. Rjr ptrs no. WP27201503215. Allegedly the gear collapsed. However from further inspections it appears the gear was not down or was in transit upon landing.
As the FAA filed it
6/11/15) PILOT REPORTED RIGHT MLG COLLAPSED ON LANDING AND ROLL-OUT, WHEN LANDING 29 AT PETALUMA AIRPORT (O69).
PILOT STATEMENT INDICATED ROUTINE TOUCH-AND-GOES, THIS BEING THE THIRD OF THE DAY. HE INDICATED THAT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN GOT BUSY WITH AN UNEXPECTED AIRCRAFT ENTERING FROM A STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH IN ADDITION TO THE ACFT IN THE PATTERN.
PILOT EXTENDED HIS DOWNWIND LEG TO COMPENSATE FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICT IN THE PATTERN. PILOT TURNED BASE, THEN FINAL AND CONTINUED APPROACH TO LANDING.
PILOT STATED THE FLARE FELT NORMAL, AND FELT LIKE A GENTLE TOUCHDOWN. VERY QUICKLY AFTER TOUCH-DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED RIGHT, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSING, FOLLOWED BY A VEER TO THE RIGHT OFF THE RUNWAY.
THE ACFT ENDED UP APPROXIMATELY 50-FEET OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE MINOR, AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES.
6/11/15) WSA CONTACTED OAK FSDO. FLM JAA JOINED T-CON WITH NTSB, TEALEYE CORNEJO (TC) AND PETALUMA AIRPORT MGR, BOB PATTERSON. CONDUCTED PRELIMINARY INTERVIEW OF PILOT, STILL AT SCENE, WITH AIRPORT MGR.
NTSB APPROVED MOVE OF ACFT FOR RECOVERY PURPOSES ONLY. AIRPORT MGR TO MONITOR. JAA SPOKE TO ACFT OWNER, RON MANGON & REITERATED NTSB LIMITED MOVEMENT APPROVAL.
FAA IIC JAA WENT ON-SITE TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT WAS AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT (MAJOR OR MINOR DAMAGE), PER NTSB REQUEST, PRIOR TO RELEASE OF ACFT.
JAA ARRIVED ON-SCENE, PHOTOGRAPHED AND DOCUMENTED DAMAGE. DETERMINATION MADE THAT DAMAGE WAS MINOR, INCIDENT-STATUS WAS ACCURATE, AND NOTIFIED NTSB. RELEASED ACFT INTO OWNER?S CUSTODY FOR FURTHER TROUBLE-SHOOTING AND EVALUATION.
6/11/15) JAA ON-SITE OBSERVED GEAR SWING AND T/S TO DETERMINE FUNCTIONALITY OF GEAR, WARNING HORNS, THROTTLE AND FLAP POSITION INDICATORS, LANDING GEAR INDICATION LIGHTS AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS, COMPONENTS AND WARNINGS.
6/14/15) REVIEW OF ACFT RECORDS REVEALED THAT ACFT HAD BEEN APPROPRIATELY MODIFIED PER PIPER SERVICE BULLETIN 866A (BACK-UP LANDING GEAR EXTENDER REMOVAL) AND POH HAD BEEN REVISED. CURRENT POH INSTRUCTIONS WERE ABOARD THE ACFT. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT (ALERTING THE PILOT THAT THE WARNING SYSTEM WAS NOT ACTIVATED AT 10 DEGREE FLAPS AND BELOW). SB 769 WAS N/A BY S/N.
ALTHOUGH THE ACFT RECENTLY HAD MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM, TO INCLUDE HYDRAULIC PACK, LANDING NORMAL OPERATIONAL CHECK (GEAR SWING) WAS COMPLETED 5 TIMES AND EMERGENCY EXTENSION WAS COMPLETED TWICE. FOLLOWING RELEASE FROM MAINTENANCE (THAT INCLUDED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION), THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AN ADDITIONAL 10-HRS BY EXPERIENCED COMPANY PILOTS, PRIOR TO RELEASING THE ACFT. INTO RENTAL SERVICE WITHOUT INCIDENT.
COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE MANUAL EXTRACTS, WIRING DIAGRAM EXTRACTS, POH EXTRACTS AND ACFT. RECORDS ARE ON-SITE IN OAK FSDO INCIDENT FILE.
6/14/15) DURING PILOT?S EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO ACCOMMODATE OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN THAT HAD ALTERED HIS ROUTINE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ACFT ENGINE POWER SETTING ON FINAL WAS ABOVE 15IN HG OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. IN THAT SCENARIO, THE THROTTLE WARNING HORN/LIGHT MICRO-SWITCH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ENGAGED TO MAKE THE LANDING GEAR WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATE.
THE WING FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE 10 DEGREE POSITION AT THE ACFT RESTING SITE (SELECTED AND ACTUAL). WITH THE WING FLAPS SET AT ONLY 10 DEGREE POSITION, THE FLAP GREATER THAN 10 DEGREE MICRO-SWITCH WOULD NOT BE ENGAGED TO MAKE THE LANDING GEAR WARNING SYSTEM ACTIVATE.
IT IS PROBABLE THAT PA28R-200, WITH HIGH WING-LOADING, THE PILOT WOULD HAVE HAD HIGHER THAN NORMAL ENGINE POWER TO A FLY A LONG FINAL APPROACH WITH ONLY 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, THUS NOT HAVING ANY LANDING GEAR WARNING SYSTEMS ACTIVATED.
6/15/15) RJR & JAA CONDUCTED COUNSELING WITH PILOT AND CLOSED INVESTIGATION WITHOUT FURTHER ACTION. RJR PTRS NO. WP27201503215. ALLEGEDLY THE GEAR COLLAPSED. HOWEVER FROM FURTHER INSPECTIONS IT APPEARS THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN OR WAS IN TRANSIT UPON LANDING.
Other reports on N40852 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.