What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 01/26/2017 at 11:00 local time, N6885F, a Piper PA32R-300, piloted by privacy data omitted with his wife as passenger, on a 14CFR part 91 flight, departed Sun Valley Airpark (A20).
The pilot stated in the following narrative: they were returning to their home in colton, CA. (Krei) after spending a few days at sun valley. A few minutes after departure, the aircraft experienced total electrical failure. He stayed in the area of the airport while attempting to diagnose the problem. He cycled the master and radio switches several times and checked the circuit breakers to no avail.
He decided to return and land. He put the gear switch in the down position and checked to make sure the gear lever was in the auto extend mode, slowed to 80-85 knots, shook the tail and returned to A20. He set up for a soft field landing and landed on the same runway that he departed from (36) .
Upon touchdown, the left main gear either collapsed or was never down. The plane slid left into the dirt on the left of the runway.
No injuries were reported by the pilot or passenger. The aircraft received major damage to the underside of the left wing and engine cowling.
As the FAA filed it
ON 01/26/2017 AT 11:00 LOCAL TIME, N6885F, A PIPER PA32R-300, PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH HIS WIFE AS PASSENGER, ON A 14CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, DEPARTED SUN VALLEY AIRPARK (A20).
THE PILOT STATED IN THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE: THEY WERE RETURNING TO THEIR HOME IN COLTON, CA. (KREI) AFTER SPENDING A FEW DAYS AT SUN VALLEY. A FEW MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. HE STAYED IN THE AREA OF THE AIRPORT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE CYCLED THE MASTER AND RADIO SWITCHES SEVERAL TIMES AND CHECKED THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO NO AVAIL.
HE DECIDED TO RETURN AND LAND. HE PUT THE GEAR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POSITION AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE AUTO EXTEND MODE, SLOWED TO 80-85 KNOTS, SHOOK THE TAIL AND RETURNED TO A20. HE SET UP FOR A SOFT FIELD LANDING AND LANDED ON THE SAME RUNWAY THAT HE DEPARTED FROM (36) .
UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR EITHER COLLAPSED OR WAS NEVER DOWN. THE PLANE SLID LEFT INTO THE DIRT ON THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING AND ENGINE COWLING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.