# Accident 20171203022589A: Piper PA-34-200T, Thomasville, GA, December 3, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 3, 2017, 15:20 local time
- Place: Thomasville, GA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.9014° N, 83.8814° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9014&lon=-83.8814&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8328V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8328V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 GB (registry code 17070, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-gb) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200T
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 GB
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,816 total, 1,900 in this make and model, 39 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA044) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171203022589A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 12/03/2017 THE PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N8328V DEPARTED PK AIRPARK (5W4), RAEFORD, NC AT APPROXIMATELY 13:05 ENROUTE TO THOMASVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT (TVI), THOMASVILLE, GA. NORMAL LANDING PROCEDURES WERE FOLLOWED AT A  3 MILE BASE LEG TO RUNWAY 4. GEAR LEVER WAS PLACED IN THE DOWN POSITION AND ONLY THE NOSE AND RIGHT GREEN GEAR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT CLAIMS THAT THERE WAS A HIGH PITCHED WHINING SOUND BUT NO INDICATION OF THE LEFT GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. GEAR WAS THEN CYCLED THREE MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT TRIED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION CHECKLIST AND AGAIN THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND THE WHINING NOISE WAS STILL HEARD. THE PILOT THEN MADE A RADIO CALL TO TVI GROUND PERSONNEL AND THEY HAD OBSERVED ALL THREE GEARS WERE EXTENDED. THE PILOT STATES THAT A NORMAL LANDING WAS MADE ON RUNWAY 4 AND THEN AT APPROXIMATELY 30-40 KTS THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO STRIKE AND PROPELLER TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TURNED 90 DEGREES LEFT AND SKID TO A STOP JUST OFF RUNWAY. THE IA AT THE AIRPORT, WHO WAS HELPING TO GET THE AIRCRAFT REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY, STATES THAT UPON TRYING TO PULL THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCK THAT THE GEAR WOULD NOT TRAVEL FAR ENOUGH TO ENGAGE THE DOWN LOCK HOOKS. THE IA STATES THAT WHILE IN THE SEMI RETRACTED POSITION THAT HE RUN HIS FINGER THROUGH THE DRAG LINK MATING SURFACES AND AN OBJECT LIKE A SMALL STONE CAME OUT WITH SOME GREASE. THE GEAR THEN WENT TO THE DOWN AND LOCK POSITION PROPERLY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE FRAME ON BELLY AFT OF THE LEFT WING ROOT. NUMBER 1 ENGINE LOWER COWL DAMAGED , LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE HAD A PROP STRIKE FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. LEFT AILERON AND FLAP AFT OTBD SURFACES DAMAGED.

## 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 ERA18LA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA044), Dec 3, 2017: Piper PA34 (N8328V), Thomasville, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A stone becoming lodged in a left main landing gear (MLG) drag link, which resulted in the failure of the left MLG to extend and lock.

## Other reports on N8328V (1)

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

- [Incident 19950316010699I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950316010699I), Mar 16, 1995: Piper PA34200T (N8328V), Oshkosh, WI, Minor damage. Narrative: on March 16, 1995, Piper PA-34-200T, N8328V, registered to laufer trucking, inc., hartford, Wisconsin, and operated by Mr. Alan a. laufer, departed…

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.

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