# Incident 20160307009049I: Piper PA-32RT-300T, Tucson, AZ, March 7, 2016

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 7, 2016, 14:22 local time
- Place: Tucson, AZ
- Airport: Tucson International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.1171° N, 110.9415° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TUCSON INTL (TUS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.1171&lon=-110.9415&mi=10
- Aircraft: N788JC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N788JC-2025-02-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300T (registry code 7103216, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300t) (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-32RT-300T
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 17,000 total, 60 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160307009049I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

03/08/2016 ? INTERVIEW WITH AIRMAN INDICATED HE TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 03/07/16 1145L FROM KTUS EN ROUTE TO MMPE.  UPON TRAFFIC PATTERN SEQUENCE AT MMPE, AIRMAN SELECTED GEAR DOWN.  NO SENSORY INDICATIONS OF GEAR EXTENSION WERE FELT; ?GEAR IN TRANSIT? ADVISORY LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AIRMAN STATED, ?GEAR ACTUATION LEVER DID NOT FEEL NORMAL?.   AIRMAN MOVED GEAR LEVER BACK TO UP POSITION, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO EXIT THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO HOLD NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT.   HE NOTICED GEAR INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED AND WOULD NOT RESET.  HE ATTEMPTED A SECOND TIME TO SELECT GEAR DOWN POSITION WITH GEAR LEVER WITH NO RESULT.  GEAR LEVER WAS PLACED BACK INTO UP POSITION AND AIRPLANE FLIGHT MANUAL (AFM) REFERENCED.

AIRMAN MADE THE DECISION TO FLY BACK TO TUCSON IN ORDER TO BURN DOWN THE FUEL ON BOARD AND TO ALLOW TIME TO BRIEF THE PASSENGERS AND TO CONTACT A JET CENTER MECHANIC FOR ADVICE.  UPON ARRIVAL IN THE TUCSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AREA, AIRMAN ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH TUCSON ATCT ADVISED THEM OF SITUATION, AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO HOLD SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT FOR ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING.  AIRMAN ATTEMPTED ?EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION? EMERGENCY PROCEDURE FROM THE AFM, AND THEN FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER WHO INDICATED LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS 10 PERCENT OUT AND OTHER GEAR WAS STILL STOWED.  AIRMAN PLACED GEAR LEVER IN UP POSITION, ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR LONG FINAL AND LANDED GEAR UP ON KTUS RUNWAY 21 AT APPROXIMATELY 1422L WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT.  DAMAGE TO PROPELLER, ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE, LANDING GEAR DOORS, FLAPS INBOARD TRAILING EDGES, PASSENGER ACCESS STEP, VARIOUS ANTENNAS AND BELLY SKID RAILS.  NO INJURIES REPORTED.

MAINTENANCE INSPECTED LANDING GEAR SYSTEM AND DETERMINED THE AUTOMATIC GEAR EXTENSION BELLOWS WERE LEAKING, AND THE EMERGENCY GEAR RELEASE MECHANISM WOULD NOT TRAVEL FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW LANDING GEAR RELEASE.

## Other reports on N788JC (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20230316003779I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230316003779I), Mar 16, 2023: Piper PA-32RT-300T (N788JC), Jacksonville, FL, Minor damage. Upon a landing attempt, the pilot extended the landing gear system, but the down and locked lights did not illuminate, and the 25 amp landing gear pump circuit…

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.

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