# Accident 20170830014039A: Piper PA-31-350, Saipan, CM, August 30, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 30, 2017, 18:08 local time - Place: Saipan, CM - Airport: Saipan International Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: 1SMA - Location: 15.1178° N, 145.7261° E: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=15.1178&lon=145.7261&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4078J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4078J) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350 - Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER - People aboard: 6 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA17CA570](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA570) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170830014039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE AT APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET AGL, NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27, AND DURING THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION PHASE OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED FLYING THROUGH A FLOCK OF 10-20 MEDIUM SIZED BIRDS AND HAD REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE BIRD STRIKES . THE LANDING GEAR UNLOCK "RED" INDICATOR LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE DID NOT RETURN TO THE "UP NEUTRAL POSITION". THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THROUGH THE NACELLE MIRROR THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAD FULLY RETRACTED. THE PILOT DID NOTE ANY DEGRADATION OF PERFORMANCE DURING CLIMB OR ABNORMALITIES IN ENGINE INDICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE. THE PILOT OPTED TO CONTINUE TO CLIMB TO ALTITUDE AND PROCEED TOWARDS THE INTENDED DESTINATION OF SAIPAN. THE FLIGHT PATH ALLOWED HIM TO OVERFLY THE COMPANY'S MAINTENANCE BASE ON THE ISLAND OF TINIAN 10 MILES SOUTH OF SAIPAN. AT APPROXIMATELY 17:00 CHST AND 20 MILES FROM SAIPAN, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TEST EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT NOTED LITTLE RESISTANCE IN THE GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE AND NO CHANGE TO THE LANDING GEAR INDICATING SYSTEM WHICH WAS STILL INDICATING RED. THE PILOT THEN CONTACTED TINIAN FLIGHT SERVICE STATION AND REQUESTED COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL BE NOTIFIED OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND THAT HE WOULD BE MAKING LOW PASSES OVER THE TINIAN AIRPORT SO THAT A VISUAL ASSESSMENT COULD BE MADE FROM THE GROUND. AT APPROXIMATELY 17:15 CHST COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND ON TINIAN WERE ABLE TO VISUALLY VERIFY THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY RETRACTED, BUT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN INBOARD GEAR DOORS WERE EXTENDED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RE-CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR UP AND DOWN AND THE EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST WHICH UTILIZES A HAND PUMP SYSTEM WAS PERFORMED WITH NO CHANGE TO THE OBSERVABLE CONFIGURATION OF THE GEAR OR GEAR DOORS. THE PILOT REPORTED LITTLE TO NO RESISTANCE IN THE HAND PUMP. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPT TO CYCLE THE AIRCRAFT'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OFF AND BACK ON AND TO DE-ACTIVATE THE LANDING GEAR SAFETY CIRCUIT BREAKER TO SEE IF ANY OBSERVABLE CHANGE WOULD TAKE PLACE. NO CHANGE TO THE LANDING GEAR POSITION WAS SEEN AND NO CHANGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S GEAR INDICATION WAS OBSERVED. AT 18:06 CHST THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON TEMPORARY RUNWAY 24. AT 18:08 CHST THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 24. DURING THE LANDING THE RIGHT GEAR RETRACTED AND THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER TO THE LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY AND ONTO THE GRASS BETWEEN RUNWAYS 24 AND 25 APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET WEST OF TAXIWAY DELTA. THE FIVE PASSENGERS ON BOARD EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE RIGHT EMERGENCY EXIT AND THE PILOT AND NON-PILOT CREWMEMBER EXITED VIA THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT FORWARD CREW DOOR. ALTHOUGH NO FIRE OR SMOKE WAS OBSERVED, ARFF PERSONNEL DISCHARGED FOAM AROUND THE AIRCRAFT ONCE THE PASSENGERS AND CREW HAD EXITED. POST INCIDENT VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED BLOOD SPATTER ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS; A DENT IN THE LEFT WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE; AND BLOOD SPATTER ON THE RIGHT SIDE FUSELAGE FROM THE FIRST WINDOW AFT OF THE CO-PILOT SEAT TO THE 3RD WINDOW AFT OF THE CO-PILOT SEAT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE FROM FS 7 TO 162.6/WL-18 CONSISTING OF SKIN PUNCTURES AND DEFORMED BULKHEADS, LANDING GEAR INBOARD DOOR DAMAGED, LOWER LEFT WING FROM WS 221.5 TO 239 CONSISTING OF DENTS AND SKIN THAT WAS GROUND AWAY FROM GROUND CONTACT ## 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 GAA17CA570](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA570), Aug 30, 2017: Piper PA 31 (N4078J), Saipan, substantial damage. Probable cause: Impact with multiple birds while retracting the landing gear, which resulted in the subsequent failure of the right inboard main landing gear door actuator hose and prevented the pilot from being… 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.