What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
07-03-2019
Analysis of incident involving N5771P
As you know I was involved in an incident involving N5771P. There are a number of little mistakes that alone are not a huge deal, but in combination led to an incident. An in flight distraction led me to being a bit high and a bit fast for a straight in approach to W10. I almost never do straight in approaches, but we were heading north and landing north at an uncontrolled airport. Because I was a little high and a little fast, I lowered my gear a little faster than I usually do, slowed, and added flaps. I am comfortable slipping the airplane and scrubbed the extra altitude with no problems. Because I was out of my routine I have with normal pattern work I did not notice that the gear motor circuit breaker was tripped. Not once did I put my hand under the landing gear light and say out loud that I had a green light. I did not put my hand on the gear handle and confirm it was in the right spot. Because I was slipping in, I was carrying a little more power than I normally do to make sure my round out was smooth and uneventful. For that reason, as I was slowing into my flare, the horn saying the gear wasn?t down didn?t activate because it had not reached its limit to sound. ( believe me? I checked to see if it was working after the incident and it screamed loudly at me ) I had about a .3 second thought that the airplane was at an attitude I was unfamiliar with (why haven?t my wheels hit yet?) And suddenly there was the most awful noise. You know the rest of the story.
Lessons learned:
1. No straight in approaches. Pattern work is safer and it gives you multiple times to go over gump. Entering the 45 gump. Downwind gump. Base gump. Final gump.
2. If you are high, fast, or both, divert then re-enter the pattern at the normal pattern speed and altitude.
3. Distractions are exactly that. They happen. If they do, fly the airplane. Fix the problem. Take a deep breath, and get back to the consistent basics of flying pattern work.
4. Did I happen to mention gump?
Action plan:
Analyze what happened. Learn from my mistakes. Move forward. My airplane will be repaired and the huge dent to my pride will fade over time, but never leave me. I know this will make me a better, even safer pilot. You will not hear of N5771P having another gear up landing while I am PIC.
After the incident I was concerned about dealing with the FAA. Thank you for making it as painless as possible.
Humbly,
privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
07-03-2019
ANALYSIS OF INCIDENT INVOLVING N5771P
AS YOU KNOW I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT INVOLVING N5771P. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LITTLE MISTAKES THAT ALONE ARE NOT A HUGE DEAL, BUT IN COMBINATION LED TO AN INCIDENT. AN IN FLIGHT DISTRACTION LED ME TO BEING A BIT HIGH AND A BIT FAST FOR A STRAIGHT IN APPROACH TO W10. I ALMOST NEVER DO STRAIGHT IN APPROACHES, BUT WE WERE HEADING NORTH AND LANDING NORTH AT AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT. BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE HIGH AND A LITTLE FAST, I LOWERED MY GEAR A LITTLE FASTER THAN I USUALLY DO, SLOWED, AND ADDED FLAPS. I AM COMFORTABLE SLIPPING THE AIRPLANE AND SCRUBBED THE EXTRA ALTITUDE WITH NO PROBLEMS. BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF MY ROUTINE I HAVE WITH NORMAL PATTERN WORK I DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE GEAR MOTOR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED. NOT ONCE DID I PUT MY HAND UNDER THE LANDING GEAR LIGHT AND SAY OUT LOUD THAT I HAD A GREEN LIGHT. I DID NOT PUT MY HAND ON THE GEAR HANDLE AND CONFIRM IT WAS IN THE RIGHT SPOT. BECAUSE I WAS SLIPPING IN, I WAS CARRYING A LITTLE MORE POWER THAN I NORMALLY DO TO MAKE SURE MY ROUND OUT WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. FOR THAT REASON, AS I WAS SLOWING INTO MY FLARE, THE HORN SAYING THE GEAR WASN?T DOWN DIDN?T ACTIVATE BECAUSE IT HAD NOT REACHED ITS LIMIT TO SOUND. ( BELIEVE ME? I CHECKED TO SEE IF IT WAS WORKING AFTER THE INCIDENT AND IT SCREAMED LOUDLY AT ME ) I HAD ABOUT A .3 SECOND THOUGHT THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS AT AN ATTITUDE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH (WHY HAVEN?T MY WHEELS HIT YET?) AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS THE MOST AWFUL NOISE. YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.
LESSONS LEARNED:
1. NO STRAIGHT IN APPROACHES. PATTERN WORK IS SAFER AND IT GIVES YOU MULTIPLE TIMES TO GO OVER GUMP. ENTERING THE 45 GUMP. DOWNWIND GUMP. BASE GUMP. FINAL GUMP.
2. IF YOU ARE HIGH, FAST, OR BOTH, DIVERT THEN RE-ENTER THE PATTERN AT THE NORMAL PATTERN SPEED AND ALTITUDE.
3. DISTRACTIONS ARE EXACTLY THAT. THEY HAPPEN. IF THEY DO, FLY THE AIRPLANE. FIX THE PROBLEM. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, AND GET BACK TO THE CONSISTENT BASICS OF FLYING PATTERN WORK.
4. DID I HAPPEN TO MENTION GUMP?
ACTION PLAN:
ANALYZE WHAT HAPPENED. LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES. MOVE FORWARD. MY AIRPLANE WILL BE REPAIRED AND THE HUGE DENT TO MY PRIDE WILL FADE OVER TIME, BUT NEVER LEAVE ME. I KNOW THIS WILL MAKE ME A BETTER, EVEN SAFER PILOT. YOU WILL NOT HEAR OF N5771P HAVING ANOTHER GEAR UP LANDING WHILE I AM PIC.
AFTER THE INCIDENT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DEALING WITH THE FAA. THANK YOU FOR MAKING IT AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE.
HUMBLY,
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
Other reports on N5771P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.