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20171010016159I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Beech B35 · Troutdale, OR · October 10, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 10, 2017 · 20:15 local
Place
Troutdale, OR
Airport
Portland-Troutdale Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5271C
Reported as
Beech B35
Reported engine
Continental E185 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,155 total702 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N5271CRegistered now · Beech B35S/N D-2665 · Built 1951Airframe modelBeech B35Engine modelContinental E185 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot ^& registered owner^ of N5271C took off from sandy river airport (03S), OR, at approximately 2000, and while attempting to land at Portland-Troutdale Airport (ttd), OR, at 2015, on RWY25, appears to have not extended the landing gear. A photo taken immediately after the incident by the multnomah county sheriff's dept shows the landing gear handle in the up position. A phone interview by the NTSB & FAA immediately after the incident with the pilot indicated the pilot was unsure what happened. He said that he thought he put the gear down but in the same sentence said that he's not sure what happened. A follow up interview with the pilot by the FAA revealed the pilot as confused, requiring his wife to answer basic questions for him. An attempt was made to gather aircraft and pilot records as well pilot hours but have not been successful as of this date, 10/27/2017.

Additional information received from pilot via regular mail, 10/31/17, with a statement from the pilot saying, "everything was going well as I made a smooth and soft landing heading off-center on the north side of the runway. I felt the airplane start to skid

As it contacted the runway surface and almost immediately the nose sunk down, also. The airplane skidded approximately 20 feet. I exited the aircraft and observed the underside areas of the nose, fuselage and wings in contact with the runway surface. The landing gear was still in the up position. Upon inspection, the landing gear lever was still in the up position, also, but I am not sure ifl could have

Knocked the lever from the down position with my foot or leg when exiting the aircraft. Either I

Inadvertently did not put the gear lever into the down positon, since it was such a short distance from

Sandy to Troutdale or if I did put the gear lever down and the gear did not extend and I hit the lever into

The up position upon exiting the aircraft."

The pilot records provided show a partial bi-annual flight check 01/17/2017, but never completed. No other bi-annual flt check documented going back as FAR as 09/01/2010.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT ^& REGISTERED OWNER^ OF N5271C TOOK OFF FROM SANDY RIVER AIRPORT (03S), OR, AT APPROXIMATELY 2000, AND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT PORTLAND-TROUTDALE AIRPORT (TTD), OR, AT 2015, ON RWY25, APPEARS TO HAVE NOT EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR. A PHOTO TAKEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT BY THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT SHOWS THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE IN THE UP POSITION. A PHONE INTERVIEW BY THE NTSB & FAA IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT WITH THE PILOT INDICATED THE PILOT WAS UNSURE WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE PUT THE GEAR DOWN BUT IN THE SAME SENTENCE SAID THAT HE'S NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED. A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT BY THE FAA REVEALED THE PILOT AS CONFUSED, REQUIRING HIS WIFE TO ANSWER BASIC QUESTIONS FOR HIM. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO GATHER AIRCRAFT AND PILOT RECORDS AS WELL PILOT HOURS BUT HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS OF THIS DATE, 10/27/2017.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM PILOT VIA REGULAR MAIL, 10/31/17, WITH A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT SAYING, "EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL AS I MADE A SMOOTH AND SOFT LANDING HEADING OFF-CENTER ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. I FELT THE AIRPLANE START TO SKID

AS IT CONTACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE NOSE SUNK DOWN, ALSO. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET. I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND OBSERVED THE UNDERSIDE AREAS OF THE NOSE, FUSELAGE AND WINGS IN CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE LANDING GEAR WAS STILL IN THE UP POSITION. UPON INSPECTION, THE LANDING GEAR LEVER WAS STILL IN THE UP POSITION, ALSO, BUT I AM NOT SURE IFL COULD HAVE

KNOCKED THE LEVER FROM THE DOWN POSITION WITH MY FOOT OR LEG WHEN EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. EITHER I

INADVERTENTLY DID NOT PUT THE GEAR LEVER INTO THE DOWN POSITON, SINCE IT WAS SUCH A SHORT DISTANCE FROM

SANDY TO TROUTDALE OR IF I DID PUT THE GEAR LEVER DOWN AND THE GEAR DID NOT EXTEND AND I HIT THE LEVER INTO

THE UP POSITION UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT."

THE PILOT RECORDS PROVIDED SHOW A PARTIAL BI-ANNUAL FLIGHT CHECK 01/17/2017, BUT NEVER COMPLETED. NO OTHER BI-ANNUAL FLT CHECK DOCUMENTED GOING BACK AS FAR AS 09/01/2010.