# Accident 20161005021749A: North American NAVION, Palmer, AK, October 5, 2016 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 5, 2016, 12:15 local time - Place: Palmer, AK - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 61.5950° N, 149.0886° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5950&lon=-149.0886&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8895H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8895H) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: North American NAVION (registry code 6150130, https://openairdocs.org/model/north-american-navion) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental E225 series (registry code 17015, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-e225-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: NORTH AMERICAN NAVION - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR E225 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 2,227 total, 1,227 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA17CA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA023) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161005021749A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB GAA17CA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA023), Oct 5, 2016: North American Navion (N8895H), Palmer, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear for landing. ## Other reports on N8895H (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20140628010519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140628010519I), Jun 28, 2014: North American NAVION (N8895H), Talkeetna, AK, Minor damage. At 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… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.