# Incident 20191218019969I: Piper PA-34-200T, Ft. Pierce, FL, December 18, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 18, 2019, 22:30 local time
- Place: Ft. Pierce, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.4256° N, 80.3404° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Fort Pierce, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.4256&lon=-80.3404&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8703E, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8703E-2021-02-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200T
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER
- People aboard: 5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 10,500 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191218019969I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

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.

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