What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 3, 2017, at approximately 19:00 eastern time (2300Z), a Piper PA-31, N722CF, landed with the landing gear retracted on runway 18 at the Clark Regional Airport (kjvy), Jeffersonville, Indiana. It was determined the aircraft received substantial damage to the lower fuselage skins, longerons and former flanges. The pilot and two passengers were not injured in the accident. The aircraft is registered to luftladder inc. and was being operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 on a flight in visual meteorological conditions (VMC) from wellsville municipal airport (kelz), wellsville, new york to kjvy as a personal flight.
The pilot stated when he was about four to five miles from the airport he lowered the landing gear. The right main gear light hesitated initially after the gear was extended. The right green gear light did come on steady after the hesitation. The pilot continued his approach to land. In the landing flare he noticed the right main green light had gone out. The pilot initiated a go around while the aircraft was in the flair. He applied power, selected gear up, and selected flaps to 12 degrees (full flap position is at 25 degrees). Aircraft settled on the runway as the gear was retracting. As soon as he heard the sound of the props hitting the runway he aborted the go around.
The aircraft was placed on jacks and an operational check of the landing gear system was performed by the maintenance facility and witnessed by the investigating FAA inspectors. The gear operated normally with several retract cycles. The landing gear warning and light indication systems worked normally with each cycle. The hesitation of the right main gear light and the faulty right gear light indication experienced by the pilot could not be duplicated.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 3, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 19:00 EASTERN TIME (2300Z), A PIPER PA-31, N722CF, LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED ON RUNWAY 18 AT THE CLARK REGIONAL AIRPORT (KJVY), JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA. IT WAS DETERMINED THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE SKINS, LONGERONS AND FORMER FLANGES. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO LUFTLADDER INC. AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 ON A FLIGHT IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) FROM WELLSVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KELZ), WELLSVILLE, NEW YORK TO KJVY AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT STATED WHEN HE WAS ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE MILES FROM THE AIRPORT HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT HESITATED INITIALLY AFTER THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED. THE RIGHT GREEN GEAR LIGHT DID COME ON STEADY AFTER THE HESITATION. THE PILOT CONTINUED HIS APPROACH TO LAND. IN THE LANDING FLARE HE NOTICED THE RIGHT MAIN GREEN LIGHT HAD GONE OUT. THE PILOT INITIATED A GO AROUND WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE FLAIR. HE APPLIED POWER, SELECTED GEAR UP, AND SELECTED FLAPS TO 12 DEGREES (FULL FLAP POSITION IS AT 25 DEGREES). AIRCRAFT SETTLED ON THE RUNWAY AS THE GEAR WAS RETRACTING. AS SOON AS HE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE PROPS HITTING THE RUNWAY HE ABORTED THE GO AROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS AND AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS PERFORMED BY THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AND WITNESSED BY THE INVESTIGATING FAA INSPECTORS. THE GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY WITH SEVERAL RETRACT CYCLES. THE LANDING GEAR WARNING AND LIGHT INDICATION SYSTEMS WORKED NORMALLY WITH EACH CYCLE. THE HESITATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT AND THE FAULTY RIGHT GEAR LIGHT INDICATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.