20191208017319I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Fulton, MO · December 8, 2019

Date
December 8, 2019 · 21:30 local
Place
Fulton, MO
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5695P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
4,198 total638 in this make and model1 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.

Pilot was preparing to fly around pattern at kftt using rwy 18. As the pilot was preparing for takeoff, another aircraft landed on rwy 18. The second aircraft landed 3/4 down the runway and advised he would hold in run-up area and remain clear of the runway. The pilot reported his radio squelch system was not working correctly and wasn't sure of the second aircraft's location after takeoff. The pilot stated that the unsquelched radio noise provided additional distractions and while making second circuit around the pattern pilot was still unsure of the other aircraft's location or if the second aircraft had completed it's taxi back to the ramp. With the additional distraction of the setting sun as well as not knowing where the second aircraft was on the taxi-way, the pilot failed to lower the landing gear and failed to recognize the gear horn over the radio noise when the throttle's were reduced for touchdown resulting in a gear up landing.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS PREPARING TO FLY AROUND PATTERN AT KFTT USING RWY 18. AS THE PILOT WAS PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF, ANOTHER AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RWY 18. THE SECOND AIRCRAFT LANDED 3/4 DOWN THE RUNWAY AND ADVISED HE WOULD HOLD IN RUN-UP AREA AND REMAIN CLEAR OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS RADIO SQUELCH SYSTEM WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND WASN'T SURE OF THE SECOND AIRCRAFT'S LOCATION AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE UNSQUELCHED RADIO NOISE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DISTRACTIONS AND WHILE MAKING SECOND CIRCUIT AROUND THE PATTERN PILOT WAS STILL UNSURE OF THE OTHER AIRCRAFT'S LOCATION OR IF THE SECOND AIRCRAFT HAD COMPLETED IT'S TAXI BACK TO THE RAMP. WITH THE ADDITIONAL DISTRACTION OF THE SETTING SUN AS WELL AS NOT KNOWING WHERE THE SECOND AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE TAXI-WAY, THE PILOT FAILED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR AND FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE GEAR HORN OVER THE RADIO NOISE WHEN THE THROTTLE'S WERE REDUCED FOR TOUCHDOWN RESULTING IN A GEAR UP LANDING.