20200112000249A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Fairbanks, AK · January 12, 2020

Date: January 12, 2020 · 12:25 local
Place: Fairbanks, AK
Airport: Fairbanks International
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: EPUA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4112K
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC20LA013
Reported as: Piper PA-31-350
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 7
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N4112KRegistered now · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-8353006 · Built 1982 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Hydraulic fitting failed allowing all hydraulic fluid to leak out , this resulted in only the nose wheel and the left main wheel to extend but left the right main up and locked. The pilot tried the hand pump and the blow down bottle to no availe resulting in a landing with the right gear up. Further inspection revealed the shuttle valve for the right uplock was also frozen, the valve was removed and disassembled and found to have water inside and significant corrosion inside the cylinder.

As the FAA filed it

HYDRAULIC FITTING FAILED ALLOWING ALL HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK OUT , THIS RESULTED IN ONLY THE NOSE WHEEL AND THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TO EXTEND BUT LEFT THE RIGHT MAIN UP AND LOCKED. THE PILOT TRIED THE HAND PUMP AND THE BLOW DOWN BOTTLE TO NO AVAILE RESULTING IN A LANDING WITH THE RIGHT GEAR UP. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE SHUTTLE VALVE FOR THE RIGHT UPLOCK WAS ALSO FROZEN, THE VALVE WAS REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED AND FOUND TO HAVE WATER INSIDE AND SIGNIFICANT CORROSION INSIDE THE CYLINDER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC20LA013Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFairbanks, AKThe improper installation of a hydraulic line at the right main landing gear (MLG) unlock actuator, which resulted in a total loss of system hydraulic pressure and failure of the landing gear to extend. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the…Jan 12, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4112K · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20090314046849ALanding: Rollout · Buckland, AKPtrs number: AL01200901461.aircraft landed long, 1,000 feet down the 3,200 foot runway due to a 10 knot tail wind. Runway was covered with ice, and the pilot was unable to stop. Aircraft slid off the departure end of the runway. Aircraft sustained substantial…Mar 14, 2009 · Substantial damage Incident 19901025055399IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Kotzebue, AKRight engine caught fire on climb. Shut down and returned. Oil dipstick had been left off.Oct 25, 1990