20180810010629I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-180 · Savoy, IL · August 10, 2018

Date
August 10, 2018 · 15:23 local
Place
Savoy, IL
Airport
University Of Illinois-Willard
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3744T
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-180
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
459 total188 in this make and model125 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 August 10th, 2018 around 1525 local time, N3744T had its right main gear collapse during a landing on runway 32R at University of Illinois Willard airport (cmi) in Savoy, Illinois. The PIC stated that about 30 miles out from cmi he heard a thump and then felt the aircraft pull to the right. Initially he thought he had struck a bird, but when he saw his landing gear "in transit" light illuminate, he knew he had a landing gear problem. The PIC stated that he attempted to extend the landing gear and got the green "gear down" light for the nose gear and left main gear, but did not get the "gear down" light for the right main gear. The PIC also stated that the landing gear "in transit" remained illuminated. The PIC then elected to retract the gear and perform the emergency gear extension procedure. After completing the emergency gear extension procedure, the PIC stated that he received the same indication as when he extended the gear before. "Gear down" lights for the left main and nose gear but no "gear down" light for the right main and the "in transit" light remained illuminated. The PIC stated that he then began to rock the wings in an attempt to get the gear to swing into its down lock, but was not successful. The PIC stated that he contacted the control tower at cmi and requested a low approach to have them observe the gear position. The PIC stated that the control tower said that the gear appeared to be down. The PIC returned for landing and was on final approach when the control tower asked him if he would like them to have emergency personel available at the runway for his landing. The PIC stated that he then executed a go around to allow time for emergency personel to get into position. On the next approach the PIC performed a normal landing, but attempted to yaw the aircraft to the right in order to possibly drag the right main gear into the locked position. Upon touchdown, the right main gear began to collapse under the weight of the aircraft. The PIC stated that he began to power up in an attempt to perform a go around, but realized he didn't have enough power to overcome the drag created by the landing gear. Due to this fact, the PIC decided to continue with the landing. At this point the PIC reduced the throttle to idle and pulled the mixture control to idle cutoff. As the right wing began to skid along the ground, the PIC stated that he attempted to steer the aircraft the best that he could in order to maintain centerline. The aircraft came to rest about 1000 feet down the runway from where he initially touched down.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 10TH, 2018 AROUND 1525 LOCAL TIME, N3744T HAD ITS RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE DURING A LANDING ON RUNWAY 32R AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS WILLARD AIRPORT (CMI) IN SAVOY, ILLINOIS. THE PIC STATED THAT ABOUT 30 MILES OUT FROM CMI HE HEARD A THUMP AND THEN FELT THE AIRCRAFT PULL TO THE RIGHT. INITIALLY HE THOUGHT HE HAD STRUCK A BIRD, BUT WHEN HE SAW HIS LANDING GEAR "IN TRANSIT" LIGHT ILLUMINATE, HE KNEW HE HAD A LANDING GEAR PROBLEM. THE PIC STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR AND GOT THE GREEN "GEAR DOWN" LIGHT FOR THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT MAIN GEAR, BUT DID NOT GET THE "GEAR DOWN" LIGHT FOR THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE PIC ALSO STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR "IN TRANSIT" REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE PIC THEN ELECTED TO RETRACT THE GEAR AND PERFORM THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. AFTER COMPLETING THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, THE PIC STATED THAT HE RECEIVED THE SAME INDICATION AS WHEN HE EXTENDED THE GEAR BEFORE. "GEAR DOWN" LIGHTS FOR THE LEFT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR BUT NO "GEAR DOWN" LIGHT FOR THE RIGHT MAIN AND THE "IN TRANSIT" LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE PIC STATED THAT HE THEN BEGAN TO ROCK THE WINGS IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET THE GEAR TO SWING INTO ITS DOWN LOCK, BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. THE PIC STATED THAT HE CONTACTED THE CONTROL TOWER AT CMI AND REQUESTED A LOW APPROACH TO HAVE THEM OBSERVE THE GEAR POSITION. THE PIC STATED THAT THE CONTROL TOWER SAID THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. THE PIC RETURNED FOR LANDING AND WAS ON FINAL APPROACH WHEN THE CONTROL TOWER ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE THEM TO HAVE EMERGENCY PERSONEL AVAILABLE AT THE RUNWAY FOR HIS LANDING. THE PIC STATED THAT HE THEN EXECUTED A GO AROUND TO ALLOW TIME FOR EMERGENCY PERSONEL TO GET INTO POSITION. ON THE NEXT APPROACH THE PIC PERFORMED A NORMAL LANDING, BUT ATTEMPTED TO YAW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO POSSIBLY DRAG THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR INTO THE LOCKED POSITION. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BEGAN TO COLLAPSE UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC STATED THAT HE BEGAN TO POWER UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO PERFORM A GO AROUND, BUT REALIZED HE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO OVERCOME THE DRAG CREATED BY THE LANDING GEAR. DUE TO THIS FACT, THE PIC DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITH THE LANDING. AT THIS POINT THE PIC REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND PULLED THE MIXTURE CONTROL TO IDLE CUTOFF. AS THE RIGHT WING BEGAN TO SKID ALONG THE GROUND, THE PIC STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT THE BEST THAT HE COULD IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN CENTERLINE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 1000 FEET DOWN THE RUNWAY FROM WHERE HE INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN.