# Incident 20190308001049I: Piper PA-24-250, Sebring, FL, March 8, 2019 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 8, 2019, 22:15 local time - Place: Sebring, FL - Airport: Sebring Regional - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.4564° N, 81.3424° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at SEBRING RGNL (SEF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.4564&lon=-81.3424&mi=10 - Aircraft: N543AS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N543AS-2023-07-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,520 total, 1,450 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190308001049I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. MARCH 08, 2019 - N543AS A 1962 PIPER PA-24-250, S/N 24-3250, EXPERIENCED A GEAR UP LANDING ON SEBRING REGIONAL AIRPORT (KSEF) RUNWAY 19 AT APPROXIMATELY 2215. PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED FROM BARTOW. CONDITIONS WERE VFR AND WIND SPEED BETWEEN 4 AND 5 KNOTS. HE MADE THE APPROACH INTO RUNWAY 19, STATING THE APPROACH WAS FASTER THAN NORMAL AND DECIDED TO EXTEND THE FLAPS TO SLOW DOWN AND LANDED AT APPROXIMATELY 70KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR AND HAD A GREEN INDICATION AND HEARD THE TIRES MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY AND STATED AS HE LANDED THE PLANE HE FELT AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AS THE PLANE ROLLED FORWARD THE WHEELS COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ON THE RUNWAY FOR APPROX. 600 TO 700? BEFORE STOPPING. AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND TOWED TO OWNER?S HANGAR. ON 03-11-2019: AN INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY 19 IDENTIFIED AIRCRAFT PROPELLER STRIKES ON THE RUNWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 350? PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY- AIRCRAFT BELLY IMPRESSIONS-GREEN PAINT TRANSFER NOTED AT THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION OF 14/19. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED ON ITS BELLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 300? BEFORE COMING TO A STOP 140? SOUTH OF RUNWAY INTERSECTION 14/19. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE ALL PROPELLER BLADE TIPS, DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD 6? OF BELLY SKINS, AS WELL AS THE EXHAUST TAIL PIPE AND ANTENNA DAMAGE TO THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. AN INSPECTION OF THE TIRE SIDEWALLS AND GEAR DOORS DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS SCUFFING OR ABRASION FROM THE RUNWAY SURFACE, INDICATIVE OF A GEAR COLLAPSE. NO OBVIOUS MECHANICAL OVERLOAD OF THE LANDING GEAR EXTENSION/RETRACTION SYSTEM WAS OBSERVED. MULTIPLE GEAR RETRACTIONS AND EXTENSIONS WERE PERFORMED WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION WAS SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED. A CHECK OF THE GEAR HORN AND LIGHT WAS PERFORMED-NO DEFECTS NOTED. A REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED PRIOR MAINTENANCE RECORD ENTRY DATED 2/20/2019 LANDING GEAR SYSTEM INSPECTED DUE TO HARD LANDING. AIRCRAFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS AND INSPECTION PERFORMED ON LANDING GEAR MECHANISM AND AIRFRAME WITH NO DEFICIENCIES NOTED. LEFT MAIN WHEEL TIRE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH NEW TIRE AND TUBE, LANDING GEAR SYSTEM CYCLED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. ## Other reports on N543AS (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20211208020669A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211208020669A), Dec 8, 2021: Piper PA-24-250 (N543AS), Delta, CO, Substantial damage. Pilot was completing touch and goes at ajz. On second touch and go engine failed at about 200 feet AGL. Pilot switched fuel tanks and verified fuel pump was… - [Incident 20030307008949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030307008949I), Mar 7, 2003: Piper PA24250 (N543AS), Ft Myers, FL, Minor damage. (-23) On March 7, 2003, aircraft N543AS departed punta gorda and was unable to retract the landing gear after takeoff. The pilot indicated that the gear was in… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.