20151127021409I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Bellanca 14-19-3 · Auburn, WA · November 27, 2015

Date: November 27, 2015 · 14:20 local
Place: Auburn, WA
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8861R
Reported as: Bellanca 14-19-3
Reported engine: Continental I0-470 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 422 total196 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N8861RRegistered now · Bellanca 14-19-3S/N 4222 · Built 1960 Airframe modelBellanca 14-19-3 Engine modelContinental I0-470 seriesReciprocating

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.

PIC entered left downwind pattern for a rnwy 34 landing ahead of a Maule aircraft that had just went around for wildlife on rnwy. PIC had checked gear down prior to pattern entry. On final, wildlife was still on rnwy and PIC executed a go-around and raised the gear. On downwind leg for another landing attempt, PIC was distracted by a radio call made by an airborne helicopter. PIC states he was concerned about the radio call and location of the helicopter, along with the possibility the wildlife was still on the rnwy. PIC states due to these distractions, he failed to lower the landing gear, which he states he normally does in this phase of flight. On final approach PIC quickly glanced at the gear indicator lights (situated between the two front seats) and mis-identified gear position. During flare, PIC heard warning sound while reducing power to idle and believed it was the stall warning. The aircraft struck the runway in a wheels up configuration.

As the FAA filed it

PIC ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR A RNWY 34 LANDING AHEAD OF A MAULE AIRCRAFT THAT HAD JUST WENT AROUND FOR WILDLIFE ON RNWY. PIC HAD CHECKED GEAR DOWN PRIOR TO PATTERN ENTRY. ON FINAL, WILDLIFE WAS STILL ON RNWY AND PIC EXECUTED A GO-AROUND AND RAISED THE GEAR. ON DOWNWIND LEG FOR ANOTHER LANDING ATTEMPT, PIC WAS DISTRACTED BY A RADIO CALL MADE BY AN AIRBORNE HELICOPTER. PIC STATES HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE RADIO CALL AND LOCATION OF THE HELICOPTER, ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY THE WILDLIFE WAS STILL ON THE RNWY. PIC STATES DUE TO THESE DISTRACTIONS, HE FAILED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH HE STATES HE NORMALLY DOES IN THIS PHASE OF FLIGHT. ON FINAL APPROACH PIC QUICKLY GLANCED AT THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS (SITUATED BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS) AND MIS-IDENTIFIED GEAR POSITION. DURING FLARE, PIC HEARD WARNING SOUND WHILE REDUCING POWER TO IDLE AND BELIEVED IT WAS THE STALL WARNING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE RUNWAY IN A WHEELS UP CONFIGURATION.