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20160728011679I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28RT-201T · Stevens Point, WI · July 28, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 28, 2016 · 08:00 local
Place
Stevens Point, WI
Airport
Stevens Point Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2157M
Reported as
Piper PA-28RT-201T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,206 total800 in this make and model49 in the last 90 days
N2157MRegistered now · Piper PA-28RT-201TS/N 28R-7931042 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-28RT-201TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 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.

The aircraft departed runway 3 at ste. After the landing gear was retracted, the electrical system failed. The pilot remained in the landing pattern for a return to runway 3. Prior to landing, the pilot selected the landing gear down but failed to verify that the gear was down and locked. The aircraft landed gear up on runway 3.

The investigation found that the aircraft master switch had been left on since the aircraft arrived in ste six days earlier (07/22/2016) and that the engine would not start initially due to a depleted battery. The pilot arranged for an external power start but the battery was not sufficiently charged prior to takeoff to handle anticipated electrical loads, including the normal operation of the landing gear. Personnel of the milwaukee FSDO arranged to have the aircraft raised from the ground and external electrical power applied. The landing gear was extended and locked into place utilizing the normal landing gear extension procedure. In addition, the voltage of the aircraft battery was 4.5 volts (12 volt capacity).

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 3 AT STE. AFTER THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED. THE PILOT REMAINED IN THE LANDING PATTERN FOR A RETURN TO RUNWAY 3. PRIOR TO LANDING, THE PILOT SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR DOWN BUT FAILED TO VERIFY THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 3.

THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE AIRCRAFT MASTER SWITCH HAD BEEN LEFT ON SINCE THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED IN STE SIX DAYS EARLIER (07/22/2016) AND THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START INITIALLY DUE TO A DEPLETED BATTERY. THE PILOT ARRANGED FOR AN EXTERNAL POWER START BUT THE BATTERY WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY CHARGED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF TO HANDLE ANTICIPATED ELECTRICAL LOADS, INCLUDING THE NORMAL OPERATION OF THE LANDING GEAR. PERSONNEL OF THE MILWAUKEE FSDO ARRANGED TO HAVE THE AIRCRAFT RAISED FROM THE GROUND AND EXTERNAL ELECTRICAL POWER APPLIED. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND LOCKED INTO PLACE UTILIZING THE NORMAL LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. IN ADDITION, THE VOLTAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT BATTERY WAS 4.5 VOLTS (12 VOLT CAPACITY).

Other reports on N2157M · 1

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

Incident 19930904050069ILevel Off Touchdown · Friday Harbor, WAPilot landed with gear retracted. Appears pilot did not check position of gear handle.Sep 4, 1993 · Reported as Piper PA28R201T · Minor damage