# Accident 20150704010039A: Piper PA-24-250, Newton, KS, July 4, 2015 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 4, 2015, 11:15 local time - Place: Newton, KS - Airport: Newton-City-County - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.0558° N, 97.2764° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.0558&lon=-97.2764&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7985P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7985P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 4,500 total, 1 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA15CA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA178) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150704010039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JULY 4, 2015, AT APPROXIMATELY 1115 LOCAL TIME, A PRIVATE PILOT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WHILE LANDING THE PIPER PA-24 COMANCHE AIRCRAFT AT THE NEWTON CITY COUNTY AIRPORT (KEWK), NEWTON, KANSAS. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY DEPARTED KEWK FOR THE AUGUSTA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (3AU), LOCATED 28 MILES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF KEWK, FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF COMPLETING A FLIGHT REVIEW IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 61.56; THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS CONDUCTING THE FLIGHT REVIEW. UPON COMPLETION OF THE LOCAL AREA AIRWORK, THE PRIVATE PILOT ELECTED TO FLY TO 3AU TO PERFORM THE TRAFFIC PATTERN EVENTS. DURING THE FIRST TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATION AT 3AU, THE AIRMAN CONFIGURED THE PA-24 FOR LANDING; A GO-AROUND WAS COMMANDED AS A PART OF THE FLIGHT REVIEW WITH THE AIRMAN RESPONDING APPROPRIATELY. DURING THE SECOND TRAFFIC PATTERN EVENT, THE AIRMAN RE-CONFIGURED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT HOWEVER DURING THE POWER REDUCTION FOR LANDING, THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE UN-SAFE GEAR HORN WAS ACTIVATED; A SECOND GO-AROUND WAS CONDUCTED. THE AIRMAN AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DECIDED TO RETURN TO KEWK TO TERMINATE THE FLIGHT REVIEW DUE TO THE UN-SAFE GEAR CONDITION; THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST WAS REFERENCED DURING THE RETURN LEG. THE AIRMAN ATTEMPTED TO RE-CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE RETURN FLIGHT HOWEVER THE UN-SAFE LANDING GEAR CONDITION COULD NOT BE RESOLVED. UPON REFERENCING THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO EXTEND THE GEAR HOWEVER THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND FULLY. SEVERAL ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE BUT THE AIRMAN STATED THAT THE GEAR WOULD ONLY PARTIALLY EXTEND. THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO LAND AT KEWK WITH THE LANDING GEAR NOT FULLY EXTENDED; THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE UPON TOUCHDOWN. HOWEVER, THE PRIVATE PILOT AND CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE NOT INJURED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA15CA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA178), Jul 4, 2015: Piper PA 24-250 (N7985P), Newton, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the right main landing gear down-lock micro switch, which resulted in a landing gear collapse during landing, and the pilot/owner's unfamiliarity with the emergency landing gear… ## Other reports on N7985P (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19910919042269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910919042269A), Sep 19, 1991: Piper PA24250 (N7985P), Arco, ID, Substantial damage. Engine quit en route after running 3 or 4 tanks out of usable fuel. High sink rate landing. Believe ice blocked fuel - [Incident 19790819032039I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790819032039I), Aug 19, 1979: Piper PA24250 (N7985P), Mackay, ID, Minor damage. Attention diverted by flock of geese. Pilot dropped airplane in from 30 feet. - [Accident 19741127038759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19741127038759A), Nov 27, 1974: Piper PA24250 (N7985P), Arco, ID, Substantial damage. Encountered fog on apch. Called arpt for destination wx. 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.