20160430007949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-31P · Killeen, TX · April 30, 2016

Date: April 30, 2016 · 09:27 local
Place: Killeen, TX
Airport: Killeen Municiple
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N192CS
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN16LA189
Reported as: Piper PA-31P
Reported engine: Lycoming TIGO-541SER
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,300 total69 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N192CSRegistered now · Piper PA-31PS/N 31P-7300138 · Built 1973 Airframe modelPiper PA-31P Engine modelLycoming TIGO-541SERReciprocating

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.

Pilot departed Killeen airport (kile) for VFR flight to el paso airport (kelp). Weather was overcast with winds from northwest at 12 knots visibility at 10 miles. Pilot climbed to 2800 ft. at that point pilot decided to return back to kile due to deteriorating weather conditions. Pilot was cleared to land runway 1. Between base and final approach, pilot lowered flaps to 15 degrees however pilot stated flaps lowered to full down position. Pilot then retracted the flaps to full up position and continued on final approach. Pilot realized he had flown past a 90 degree angle for the runway and had to correct to the left. Pilot flew the rest of the approach and flared as though all was normal and then settled on to the runway gear up. During a telephone conversation between the FAA iic and pilot, pilot stated he mistook the sound of the gear warning horn for the stall warning horn. Unable to determine if flap system malfunctioned as maintenance trouble shooting of system was not performed.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED KILLEEN AIRPORT (KILE) FOR VFR FLIGHT TO EL PASO AIRPORT (KELP). WEATHER WAS OVERCAST WITH WINDS FROM NORTHWEST AT 12 KNOTS VISIBILITY AT 10 MILES. PILOT CLIMBED TO 2800 FT. AT THAT POINT PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN BACK TO KILE DUE TO DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. PILOT WAS CLEARED TO LAND RUNWAY 1. BETWEEN BASE AND FINAL APPROACH, PILOT LOWERED FLAPS TO 15 DEGREES HOWEVER PILOT STATED FLAPS LOWERED TO FULL DOWN POSITION. PILOT THEN RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO FULL UP POSITION AND CONTINUED ON FINAL APPROACH. PILOT REALIZED HE HAD FLOWN PAST A 90 DEGREE ANGLE FOR THE RUNWAY AND HAD TO CORRECT TO THE LEFT. PILOT FLEW THE REST OF THE APPROACH AND FLARED AS THOUGH ALL WAS NORMAL AND THEN SETTLED ON TO THE RUNWAY GEAR UP. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE FAA IIC AND PILOT, PILOT STATED HE MISTOOK THE SOUND OF THE GEAR WARNING HORN FOR THE STALL WARNING HORN. UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF FLAP SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AS MAINTENANCE TROUBLE SHOOTING OF SYSTEM WAS NOT PERFORMED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN16LA189Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKilleen, TXThe pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear due to his distraction with the flaps, his misinterpretation of the landing gear warning horn, and his failure to verify that the landing gear were down, which resulted in a landing with the gear retracted.Apr 30, 2016 · Substantial damage