20150914017039I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-34 · Fort Pierce, FL · September 14, 2015

Date: September 14, 2015 · 20:36 local
Place: Fort Pierce, FL
Airport: St Lucie County International
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N286ME
Reported as: Piper PA-34
Reported engine: Lycoming IO&LIO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 343 total113 in this make and model

N286MERegistered now · Piper PA-34S/N 34-7250181 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-34 Engine modelLycoming IO-360-C1E6Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While lined up for runway 10R pilot failed to lower landing gear and impacted runway surface coming to a stop on the runway surface. Post accident revealed damage to propeller and belly surfaces of aircraft. Interview with pilot indicated that he flew 7.3 hrs on 9/13/2015 and again for 9.7 hrs on 9/14/2015. Incident occurred in late twilight hours , pilot wore red light on head to assist in panel illumination which may have contributed to failure to observe gear indicator lights. Headset worn for communication may have prevented pilot form hearing gear warning horn.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE LINED UP FOR RUNWAY 10R PILOT FAILED TO LOWER LANDING GEAR AND IMPACTED RUNWAY SURFACE COMING TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE. POST ACCIDENT REVEALED DAMAGE TO PROPELLER AND BELLY SURFACES OF AIRCRAFT. INTERVIEW WITH PILOT INDICATED THAT HE FLEW 7.3 HRS ON 9/13/2015 AND AGAIN FOR 9.7 HRS ON 9/14/2015. INCIDENT OCCURRED IN LATE TWILIGHT HOURS , PILOT WORE RED LIGHT ON HEAD TO ASSIST IN PANEL ILLUMINATION WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO FAILURE TO OBSERVE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS. HEADSET WORN FOR COMMUNICATION MAY HAVE PREVENTED PILOT FORM HEARING GEAR WARNING HORN.