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20191218019969I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200T · Ft. Pierce, FL · December 18, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 18, 2019 · 22:30 local
Place
Ft. Pierce, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8703E
Reported as
Piper PA-34-200T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
10,500 total
N8703ERegistration cancelled Feb 16, 2021 · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7670167 · Built 1976Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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 departed craig field (kcgr) about 2135 under VFR conditions with an IFR flight plan. On takeoff pilot stated he heard a click noise and then noticed an unsafe gear light after retracting the gear. Pilot stated he attempted to cycle the gear in flight 3 times but was unable to extinguish the unsafe gear light. The pilot referred to the flight manual regarding the emergency procedures for gear extension. The pilot performed several flybys upon approach to kfpr with other pilots in the area observing if the aircraft gear was in fact down and all observers stated the right main gear was not down. Pilot declared an emergency landing with palm beach approach, noting the Ft. Pierce airport was already closed. After 30 minutes the pilot stated emergency crew was onsite at Ft. Pierce and the pilot performed one more flyby so emergency crews could see the position of the right main landing gear. The pilot, after consulting with other pilots and a mechanic on the phone decided to land with all gear fully retracted. The pilot stated he briefed his passengers on evacuation and emergency landing procedure as well as his plan for landing. The pilot safely landed the aircraft on the belly into the wind and pilot and passengers evacuated without injury. The pilot chose to focus on a safe landing for everyone on board resulting in damage to both props. There was no fire or injuries.

Investigation revealed the right landing gear scissor bolt was broken in half with a clean break and it was determined it most likely happened when the gear was retracted upon takeoff. The correct bolt p/n was verified to be installed and it could not be determined if it was installed incorrectly as only the top half of the bolt remained.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DEPARTED CRAIG FIELD (KCGR) ABOUT 2135 UNDER VFR CONDITIONS WITH AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. ON TAKEOFF PILOT STATED HE HEARD A CLICK NOISE AND THEN NOTICED AN UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT AFTER RETRACTING THE GEAR. PILOT STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO CYCLE THE GEAR IN FLIGHT 3 TIMES BUT WAS UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT. THE PILOT REFERRED TO THE FLIGHT MANUAL REGARDING THE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR GEAR EXTENSION. THE PILOT PERFORMED SEVERAL FLYBYS UPON APPROACH TO KFPR WITH OTHER PILOTS IN THE AREA OBSERVING IF THE AIRCRAFT GEAR WAS IN FACT DOWN AND ALL OBSERVERS STATED THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS NOT DOWN. PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY LANDING WITH PALM BEACH APPROACH, NOTING THE FT. PIERCE AIRPORT WAS ALREADY CLOSED. AFTER 30 MINUTES THE PILOT STATED EMERGENCY CREW WAS ONSITE AT FT. PIERCE AND THE PILOT PERFORMED ONE MORE FLYBY SO EMERGENCY CREWS COULD SEE THE POSITION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT, AFTER CONSULTING WITH OTHER PILOTS AND A MECHANIC ON THE PHONE DECIDED TO LAND WITH ALL GEAR FULLY RETRACTED. THE PILOT STATED HE BRIEFED HIS PASSENGERS ON EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY LANDING PROCEDURE AS WELL AS HIS PLAN FOR LANDING. THE PILOT SAFELY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE BELLY INTO THE WIND AND PILOT AND PASSENGERS EVACUATED WITHOUT INJURY. THE PILOT CHOSE TO FOCUS ON A SAFE LANDING FOR EVERYONE ON BOARD RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO BOTH PROPS. THERE WAS NO FIRE OR INJURIES.

INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SCISSOR BOLT WAS BROKEN IN HALF WITH A CLEAN BREAK AND IT WAS DETERMINED IT MOST LIKELY HAPPENED WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED UPON TAKEOFF. THE CORRECT BOLT P/N WAS VERIFIED TO BE INSTALLED AND IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AS ONLY THE TOP HALF OF THE BOLT REMAINED.