20170310002319I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32R-300 · Woods Cross, UT · March 10, 2017

Date
March 10, 2017 · 22:30 local
Place
Woods Cross, UT
Airport
Skypark
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9687K
Reported as
Piper PA-32R-300
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
22,641 total665 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

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.

On March 10, 2017 N9687K experienced a collapse of the nose gear upon landing at Skypark Airport in Woods Cross, UT

The PIC stated that they were enroute from st. george, UT to salt lake city, UT and upon passing delta, UT he noticed that his battery volage was reading low at 11.2. He stated that he attempted to troubleshoot the problem but was unable to resolve it so he turned off all non-essential electrical equipment and continued.

As he approached salt lake city's airspace he contacted approach and informed them of the situation and that he would be proceeding to Skypark Airport (btf) due to the high probablity of losing the radios. During this time the battery died and he lost all electrical equipment.

The pilot proceeded toward btf and utilized his ipad and cell phone to contact the airport manager to inform him of the situation. The pilot then attemped to lower the landing gear and made an approach to the runway. During the landing the pilot did not feel comfortable and executed a go-around. The pilot again contacted the airport manager and the airport manager stated that the gear did not appear to be down and locked. The pilot maneuvered the aircraft to see if he could get the gear down and made a low pass so that the airport manager could take a look at it again. The airport manager stated that the main gear appeared to be down but the nose was only partway down.

After this attempt the pilot became concerned about his fuel level and determined to land. Upon landing the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft slid down the runway on the nose approximately 800 feet before coming to a rest just right of the centerline.

The pilot secured the aircraft and the pilot and passengers evacuated.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 10, 2017 N9687K EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR UPON LANDING AT SKYPARK AIRPORT IN WOODS CROSS, UT

THE PIC STATED THAT THEY WERE ENROUTE FROM ST. GEORGE, UT TO SALT LAKE CITY, UT AND UPON PASSING DELTA, UT HE NOTICED THAT HIS BATTERY VOLAGE WAS READING LOW AT 11.2. HE STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE IT SO HE TURNED OFF ALL NON-ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND CONTINUED.

AS HE APPROACHED SALT LAKE CITY'S AIRSPACE HE CONTACTED APPROACH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND THAT HE WOULD BE PROCEEDING TO SKYPARK AIRPORT (BTF) DUE TO THE HIGH PROBABLITY OF LOSING THE RADIOS. DURING THIS TIME THE BATTERY DIED AND HE LOST ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

THE PILOT PROCEEDED TOWARD BTF AND UTILIZED HIS IPAD AND CELL PHONE TO CONTACT THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO INFORM HIM OF THE SITUATION. THE PILOT THEN ATTEMPED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AND MADE AN APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY. DURING THE LANDING THE PILOT DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE AND EXECUTED A GO-AROUND. THE PILOT AGAIN CONTACTED THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND THE AIRPORT MANAGER STATED THAT THE GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRCRAFT TO SEE IF HE COULD GET THE GEAR DOWN AND MADE A LOW PASS SO THAT THE AIRPORT MANAGER COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT AGAIN. THE AIRPORT MANAGER STATED THAT THE MAIN GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN BUT THE NOSE WAS ONLY PARTWAY DOWN.

AFTER THIS ATTEMPT THE PILOT BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT HIS FUEL LEVEL AND DETERMINED TO LAND. UPON LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A REST JUST RIGHT OF THE CENTERLINE.

THE PILOT SECURED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED.