20170225001129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD · Melbourne, FL · February 25, 2017

Date
February 25, 2017 · 11:10 local
Place
Melbourne, FL
Airport
Melbourne International Airpor
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2519T
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA130
Reported as
Socata TB-20 Trinidad
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot

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 pilot stated he departed eyw (key west FL) under IFR flight plan at about 0925 EST on 02/25/2017 with intended destination of dab (daytona beach, FL). The pilot said pre-flight inspection and pre-departure run-up were normal. The pilot stated that the flight was uneventful until about one hour into the flight when the alternator warning annunciator illuminated and battery voltage was reading 24 volts instead of normal 28 volts. The pilot stated that he was going to continue to dab per his flight plan in event he lost use of comunications radio. He was unable to get dab ATIS since he was more than 70 miles from dab, but planned on continuing to dab per his IFR flight plan. Soon after his failed attempt at receiving dab ATIS his avionics equipment ?blinked? And then went out, at this time the pilot decided to land at his next fix which was mlb airport (Melbourne, FL) where he elected to land on runway 927L without communications radio functioning , his decision was based on the fact that the weather condition at dab could not be confirmed and that the airport would be extremely busy due the daytona 500 race which was to occur that weekend. Pilot stated he started a slow descent from 7000 feet to 5000 feet when he initiated emergency landing gear extension procedures. Pilot stated he could not get the landing gear to extend. The pilot continued his descent to 3500 feet and slowed to 80 knots airspeed when he made a second attempt to extend the landing gear using emergency checklist procedures. The pilot stated he made his third and final attempt to extend the gear while on final approach at an altitude of 500 feet and within 1 mile of the airport; the gear failed to extend. The pilot continued his approach, secured the aircraft (turning off fuel, all electrical power and "main switch"). Pilot estimated he skidded down the runway for about 700 feet where it stopped on center line of runway 27L. The pilot exited the aircraft and was met by mlb fire rescue almost immediately. The pilot stated that the aircraft was moved off the runway and about an hour later an automotive tow truck came to lift the aircraft. The pilot stated as the aircraft was lifted the left main came down, the right main was extended with minimal manual assistance and the nose gear was stuck up into the wheel well, the nose gear was manually extended ?with considerable work".

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED EYW (KEY WEST FL) UNDER IFR FLIGHT PLAN AT ABOUT 0925 EST ON 02/25/2017 WITH INTENDED DESTINATION OF DAB (DAYTONA BEACH, FL). THE PILOT SAID PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION AND PRE-DEPARTURE RUN-UP WERE NORMAL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL ABOUT ONE HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT WHEN THE ALTERNATOR WARNING ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED AND BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS READING 24 VOLTS INSTEAD OF NORMAL 28 VOLTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO DAB PER HIS FLIGHT PLAN IN EVENT HE LOST USE OF COMUNICATIONS RADIO. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET DAB ATIS SINCE HE WAS MORE THAN 70 MILES FROM DAB, BUT PLANNED ON CONTINUING TO DAB PER HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN. SOON AFTER HIS FAILED ATTEMPT AT RECEIVING DAB ATIS HIS AVIONICS EQUIPMENT ?BLINKED? AND THEN WENT OUT, AT THIS TIME THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND AT HIS NEXT FIX WHICH WAS MLB AIRPORT (MELBOURNE, FL) WHERE HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 927L WITHOUT COMMUNICATIONS RADIO FUNCTIONING , HIS DECISION WAS BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE WEATHER CONDITION AT DAB COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED AND THAT THE AIRPORT WOULD BE EXTREMELY BUSY DUE THE DAYTONA 500 RACE WHICH WAS TO OCCUR THAT WEEKEND. PILOT STATED HE STARTED A SLOW DESCENT FROM 7000 FEET TO 5000 FEET WHEN HE INITIATED EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES. PILOT STATED HE COULD NOT GET THE LANDING GEAR TO EXTEND. THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS DESCENT TO 3500 FEET AND SLOWED TO 80 KNOTS AIRSPEED WHEN HE MADE A SECOND ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR USING EMERGENCY CHECKLIST PROCEDURES. THE PILOT STATED HE MADE HIS THIRD AND FINAL ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE GEAR WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH AT AN ALTITUDE OF 500 FEET AND WITHIN 1 MILE OF THE AIRPORT; THE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS APPROACH, SECURED THE AIRCRAFT (TURNING OFF FUEL, ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND "MAIN SWITCH"). PILOT ESTIMATED HE SKIDDED DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR ABOUT 700 FEET WHERE IT STOPPED ON CENTER LINE OF RUNWAY 27L. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS MET BY MLB FIRE RESCUE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED OFF THE RUNWAY AND ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AN AUTOMOTIVE TOW TRUCK CAME TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED THE LEFT MAIN CAME DOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN WAS EXTENDED WITH MINIMAL MANUAL ASSISTANCE AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS STUCK UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL, THE NOSE GEAR WAS MANUALLY EXTENDED ?WITH CONSIDERABLE WORK".

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N2519T · 1

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