20181222021989I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Mount Vernon, IL · December 22, 2018

Date: December 22, 2018 · 12:30 local
Place: Mount Vernon, IL
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3556F
Reported as: Piper PA-31-350
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,369 total650 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N3556FRegistration cancelled Nov 13, 2023 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-8052066 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350

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 December 22, 2018 at approximately 12:30 central savings time (CST), a Piper PA-31-350 aircraft, N3556F, registered to and operated by a commercial pilot, received minor damage when it landed on runway 23 at Mount Vernon (kmvn) with the landing gear retracted.

This was the first flight be performed, after the aircraft had been under going extensive maintenance for the previous 3 months.

The pilot was in the process of doing the first landing and takeoff of 3, when he realized that the landing gear was not extended and locked. He continued to fly the aircraft for approximately 3 hours, and in that time was continously trying to emergency extend the landing gear without any success. After burning almost all the fuel out of the tanks, he decided to land the aircraft on its belly at the airport.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 22, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 CENTRAL SAVINGS TIME (CST), A PIPER PA-31-350 AIRCRAFT, N3556F, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT LANDED ON RUNWAY 23 AT MOUNT VERNON (KMVN) WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED.

THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT BE PERFORMED, AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN UNDER GOING EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THE PREVIOUS 3 MONTHS.

THE PILOT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE FIRST LANDING AND TAKEOFF OF 3, WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED AND LOCKED. HE CONTINUED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS, AND IN THAT TIME WAS CONTINOUSLY TRYING TO EMERGENCY EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. AFTER BURNING ALMOST ALL THE FUEL OUT OF THE TANKS, HE DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS BELLY AT THE AIRPORT.