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20161005021749A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · North American NAVION · Palmer, AK · October 5, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 5, 2016 · 12:15 local
Place
Palmer, AK
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8895H
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA17CA023
Reported as
North American Navion
Reported engine
Continental E225 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,227 total1,227 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N8895HRegistered now · North American NAVIONS/N NAV-4-895 · Built 1947Airframe modelNorth American NAVIONEngine modelContinental E225 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.

Aircraft was observed by FAA inspectors immediately after the occurrence. A/c was found on r/h side of runway approximately 800' from the approach end with nose pointed approximately 45 degrees right of centerline. Two propeller tips were curled forwards more than 360 degrees and the other was curled backwards 360 degrees. The landing gear appeared to be retracted beneath the aircraft. The first ground scars observed are presumed to be the flaps and under-fuselage anti-collision light, these scars appear very distinct for approximately 15-20 feet. They fade visibly after that point, where 8-9 propeller strikes are visible at 90 degrees to the ground scars of the flaps/fuselage. After these propeller strikes, the ground scars continue to where the aircraft was found, although they are not as distinct as the initial ground scars described above. No parts of the landing gear were found on the runway or along the landing path.

Inspectors documented and took pictures of the aircraft condition. The gear-lever was found to be in the "up" position. A hoist was brought to remove the aircraft from the runway. The PIC moved the gear handle to "down" before the hoist attempted to raise the aircraft. When the hoist raised the aircraft, the gear set down and locked in place normally.

Follow up with the PIC 3.5 weeks after the accident has revealed no mechanical anomalies found with the landing gear system.

The PIC said that the landing gear collapsed as soon as he touched down. The PIC said the gear handle must have went back to the "up" position somehow, but that he thought there was some sort of lock that was supposed to keep it down.

The PIC has a limitation on his medical certificate: "must use hearing amplification". It was not noticed during the on-scene investigation whether this device was present. The airman was using a noise-canceling headset.

The pitch attitude required for the initial ground scars with the absence of propeller strikes initially suggests a flare attitude on touchdown without the landing gear. The fact that the gear appeared to lower and lock in place normally, fully intact, suggests the landing gear was not down prior to touchdown.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY FAA INSPECTORS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. A/C WAS FOUND ON R/H SIDE OF RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 800' FROM THE APPROACH END WITH NOSE POINTED APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES RIGHT OF CENTERLINE. TWO PROPELLER TIPS WERE CURLED FORWARDS MORE THAN 360 DEGREES AND THE OTHER WAS CURLED BACKWARDS 360 DEGREES. THE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE RETRACTED BENEATH THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIRST GROUND SCARS OBSERVED ARE PRESUMED TO BE THE FLAPS AND UNDER-FUSELAGE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT, THESE SCARS APPEAR VERY DISTINCT FOR APPROXIMATELY 15-20 FEET. THEY FADE VISIBLY AFTER THAT POINT, WHERE 8-9 PROPELLER STRIKES ARE VISIBLE AT 90 DEGREES TO THE GROUND SCARS OF THE FLAPS/FUSELAGE. AFTER THESE PROPELLER STRIKES, THE GROUND SCARS CONTINUE TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT AS DISTINCT AS THE INITIAL GROUND SCARS DESCRIBED ABOVE. NO PARTS OF THE LANDING GEAR WERE FOUND ON THE RUNWAY OR ALONG THE LANDING PATH.

INSPECTORS DOCUMENTED AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT CONDITION. THE GEAR-LEVER WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE "UP" POSITION. A HOIST WAS BROUGHT TO REMOVE THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RUNWAY. THE PIC MOVED THE GEAR HANDLE TO "DOWN" BEFORE THE HOIST ATTEMPTED TO RAISE THE AIRCRAFT. WHEN THE HOIST RAISED THE AIRCRAFT, THE GEAR SET DOWN AND LOCKED IN PLACE NORMALLY.

FOLLOW UP WITH THE PIC 3.5 WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT HAS REVEALED NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES FOUND WITH THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM.

THE PIC SAID THAT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AS SOON AS HE TOUCHED DOWN. THE PIC SAID THE GEAR HANDLE MUST HAVE WENT BACK TO THE "UP" POSITION SOMEHOW, BUT THAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF LOCK THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO KEEP IT DOWN.

THE PIC HAS A LIMITATION ON HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE: "MUST USE HEARING AMPLIFICATION". IT WAS NOT NOTICED DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION WHETHER THIS DEVICE WAS PRESENT. THE AIRMAN WAS USING A NOISE-CANCELING HEADSET.

THE PITCH ATTITUDE REQUIRED FOR THE INITIAL GROUND SCARS WITH THE ABSENCE OF PROPELLER STRIKES INITIALLY SUGGESTS A FLARE ATTITUDE ON TOUCHDOWN WITHOUT THE LANDING GEAR. THE FACT THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO LOWER AND LOCK IN PLACE NORMALLY, FULLY INTACT, SUGGESTS THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.

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 GAA17CA023Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportPalmer, AKThe pilot's failure to extend the landing gear for landing.Oct 5, 2016 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8895H · 1

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

Incident 20140628010519ILanding: Rollout · Talkeetna, AKAt 1339 adt a Navion single engine aircraft made a gear up landing at tka. According to the flight service station (fss) employee who was on duty at the time of the incident, the pilot radioed in stating that he was ?10 miles south of tka?. The fss employee…Jun 28, 2014 · Minor damage