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20191223015399I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Houston, TX · December 23, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 23, 2019 · 17:15 local
Place
Houston, TX
Airport
Pearland
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7210P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,000 total3,000 in this make and model119 in the last 90 days
N7210PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-2380 · Built 1960Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

Pearland regional airport klvj

On the evening of December 23rd 2019 at approximately 5:00PM I, (only soul onboard) began a takeoff run on runway 32. I was just at rotation speed when I felt I was running over some foreign debris, or possibly the nose gear had failed as I became airborne. I judged I was too fast and too FAR to abort the flight fearing I would run off the end of the runway.

I continued to climb successfully and turned left crosswind immediately and downwind to return to 32. I made radio contact with the local traffic of my intention to land as soon as practical. I had then retracted the landing gear to climb at best rate to about 600' AGL. I was assured by local traffic that the runway was mine, and the FBO crew came out to report any anomalies with the gear. They said the gear looked to be halfway down. I tried cycling the gear but could not get a green or amber light to indicate the position. I considered manually overriding the emergency system but was concerned if I would be landing with only a nose gear or mains only.

I made the decision to belly land in the configuration as reported. It was an uneventful touchdown, and as soon as it came to a stop, I turned the fuel selector to the off position, and without any smell of fuel in the cockpit, I switched off all electrical and exited the plane.

As the FAA filed it

PEARLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT KLVJ

ON THE EVENING OF DECEMBER 23RD 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:00PM I, (ONLY SOUL ONBOARD) BEGAN A TAKEOFF RUN ON RUNWAY 32. I WAS JUST AT ROTATION SPEED WHEN I FELT I WAS RUNNING OVER SOME FOREIGN DEBRIS, OR POSSIBLY THE NOSE GEAR HAD FAILED AS I BECAME AIRBORNE. I JUDGED I WAS TOO FAST AND TOO FAR TO ABORT THE FLIGHT FEARING I WOULD RUN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

I CONTINUED TO CLIMB SUCCESSFULLY AND TURNED LEFT CROSSWIND IMMEDIATELY AND DOWNWIND TO RETURN TO 32. I MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH THE LOCAL TRAFFIC OF MY INTENTION TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. I HAD THEN RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR TO CLIMB AT BEST RATE TO ABOUT 600' AGL. I WAS ASSURED BY LOCAL TRAFFIC THAT THE RUNWAY WAS MINE, AND THE FBO CREW CAME OUT TO REPORT ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE GEAR. THEY SAID THE GEAR LOOKED TO BE HALFWAY DOWN. I TRIED CYCLING THE GEAR BUT COULD NOT GET A GREEN OR AMBER LIGHT TO INDICATE THE POSITION. I CONSIDERED MANUALLY OVERRIDING THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM BUT WAS CONCERNED IF I WOULD BE LANDING WITH ONLY A NOSE GEAR OR MAINS ONLY.

I MADE THE DECISION TO BELLY LAND IN THE CONFIGURATION AS REPORTED. IT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL TOUCHDOWN, AND AS SOON AS IT CAME TO A STOP, I TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION, AND WITHOUT ANY SMELL OF FUEL IN THE COCKPIT, I SWITCHED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL AND EXITED THE PLANE.