What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 20, 2019, at approximately 1500, N3759T, a Piper PA-28T attempted to land at st. mary?s county airport (2W6). When the aircraft touched down on runway 11, the left main landing gear collapsed causing the aircraft to veer left off the runway on to the grass for unknown reasons. The certified flight instructor and pilot sustained no injuries. No passengers were on board the aircraft. At that time the FAA was notified.
According to the certified flight instructor and the pilot, start-up, taxi, run-up, and takeoff were all normal. After takeoff the gear switch was placed in the up position. Almost immediately, the gear transit light extinguished with no other lights illuminating. A check of all switches and lights did not provide an immediate indication to the crew the landing gear position or state. Hydraulic power could not be heard so the crew maintained the aircraft in the pattern and performed a low pass in order for a ground observer to provide a visual description of the gear position. The ground observer stated that the landing gear appeared to be fully extended in the down position. Since there were no indications of the landing gear position cockpit, the crew departed the pattern to assess the situation. After the landing gear handle was cycled, the instructor pilot noted a circuit breaker was popped. After two or three attempts to reset the circuit breaker, no further attempts were made to reset the circuit breaker or cycle the landing gear. All attempts to get landing gear down and locked lights were unsuccessful. After all attempts to determine if the landing gear was down and locked the crew decided to land. The crew performed a full flap approach with the engine off. During landing, the left main landing gear slowly collapsed causing the aircraft to veer left off the runway, then came to a full stop. Damage was limited to the left wing flap, left aileron, left wingtip, left gear door, and a runway marker edge light.
An incpection of the photographs provided by the pilot revealed minor damage to the left landing gear and left wing flaps. Annual inspections were current as of December 20, 2019. Could not determine currency of altimeter/transponder checks. Counseled certified flight instructor and pilot.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 20, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1500, N3759T, A PIPER PA-28T ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT ST. MARY?S COUNTY AIRPORT (2W6). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 11, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY ON TO THE GRASS FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. NO PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. AT THAT TIME THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED.
ACCORDING TO THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE PILOT, START-UP, TAXI, RUN-UP, AND TAKEOFF WERE ALL NORMAL. AFTER TAKEOFF THE GEAR SWITCH WAS PLACED IN THE UP POSITION. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, THE GEAR TRANSIT LIGHT EXTINGUISHED WITH NO OTHER LIGHTS ILLUMINATING. A CHECK OF ALL SWITCHES AND LIGHTS DID NOT PROVIDE AN IMMEDIATE INDICATION TO THE CREW THE LANDING GEAR POSITION OR STATE. HYDRAULIC POWER COULD NOT BE HEARD SO THE CREW MAINTAINED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PATTERN AND PERFORMED A LOW PASS IN ORDER FOR A GROUND OBSERVER TO PROVIDE A VISUAL DESCRIPTION OF THE GEAR POSITION. THE GROUND OBSERVER STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY EXTENDED IN THE DOWN POSITION. SINCE THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF THE LANDING GEAR POSITION COCKPIT, THE CREW DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. AFTER THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS CYCLED, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT NOTED A CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS POPPED. AFTER TWO OR THREE ATTEMPTS TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, NO FURTHER ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OR CYCLE THE LANDING GEAR. ALL ATTEMPTS TO GET LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER ALL ATTEMPTS TO DETERMINE IF THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED THE CREW DECIDED TO LAND. THE CREW PERFORMED A FULL FLAP APPROACH WITH THE ENGINE OFF. DURING LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SLOWLY COLLAPSED CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY, THEN CAME TO A FULL STOP. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE LEFT WING FLAP, LEFT AILERON, LEFT WINGTIP, LEFT GEAR DOOR, AND A RUNWAY MARKER EDGE LIGHT.
AN INCPECTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY THE PILOT REVEALED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AND LEFT WING FLAPS. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS WERE CURRENT AS OF DECEMBER 20, 2019. COULD NOT DETERMINE CURRENCY OF ALTIMETER/TRANSPONDER CHECKS. COUNSELED CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PILOT.
Other reports on N3759T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.