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20200126008799I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-201 · Oakland, CA · January 26, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 26, 2020 · 18:13 local
Place
Oakland, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2103M
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,829 total497 in this make and model33 in the last 90 days
N2103MRegistered now · Piper PA-28R-201S/N 28R-7837066 · Built 1977Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-201Engine modelLycoming I0360 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's statement:

Coming back from a VFR flight from santa rosa to Oakland (koak). I asked for pattern work and was "cleared for the option on 28 l" with a left pattern (note: the left pattern is at 600 AGL and very tight because pilots are required to stay north of the tower). On the departure leg after the third round (2 touch and go's, 1 low approach, I asked the controller (while I was on departure leg from 28L) ?N2103M, on the next one, request runway 33, full stop". The controller said "you can expect this on your next touch-and-go"). I continued to fly the left pattern. On downwind, the controller asked me "can you accept a short approach?? I verified: "to runway 33?? She confirmed and cleared me to land on 33. I was on left downwind for 28L, approximately at the extended centerline for 33 at 600 ft. and turned left. I was relatively high for rwy 33 (about a half a mile or less from the threshold) and made a pre-planned decision to perform a go-around, if I was unable to touch down at a normal speed in the first 30 % of the runway. I concentrated on my approach angle and speed and realized I would touch down before my pre-defined limit.

Touchdown was normal on the main gear after about a quarter of the runway, but when I gently lowered the nose, the prop strike resulted. Then I immediately held the yoke back and had no idea why the prop strike happened but could now feel the nose gear extending further. The nose gear never did collapse. I taxied off the runway with a right turn on taxiway d. I shut off the engine and requested a tug.

I realized later that while I was concentrating on the unusual short approach, I had forgotten to move the gear lever to the down position. The automatic gear-extension system of my airplane deployed and put the main gears down, but the nose wheel was not fully extended on touch down, causing the prop strike.

Weather conditions were VFR with light wind from about 270. Time was about 17:20. I was the only occupant of the airplane.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT'S STATEMENT:

COMING BACK FROM A VFR FLIGHT FROM SANTA ROSA TO OAKLAND (KOAK). I ASKED FOR PATTERN WORK AND WAS "CLEARED FOR THE OPTION ON 28 L" WITH A LEFT PATTERN (NOTE: THE LEFT PATTERN IS AT 600 AGL AND VERY TIGHT BECAUSE PILOTS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY NORTH OF THE TOWER). ON THE DEPARTURE LEG AFTER THE THIRD ROUND (2 TOUCH AND GO'S, 1 LOW APPROACH, I ASKED THE CONTROLLER (WHILE I WAS ON DEPARTURE LEG FROM 28L) ?N2103M, ON THE NEXT ONE, REQUEST RUNWAY 33, FULL STOP". THE CONTROLLER SAID "YOU CAN EXPECT THIS ON YOUR NEXT TOUCH-AND-GO"). I CONTINUED TO FLY THE LEFT PATTERN. ON DOWNWIND, THE CONTROLLER ASKED ME "CAN YOU ACCEPT A SHORT APPROACH?? I VERIFIED: "TO RUNWAY 33?? SHE CONFIRMED AND CLEARED ME TO LAND ON 33. I WAS ON LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 28L, APPROXIMATELY AT THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR 33 AT 600 FT. AND TURNED LEFT. I WAS RELATIVELY HIGH FOR RWY 33 (ABOUT A HALF A MILE OR LESS FROM THE THRESHOLD) AND MADE A PRE-PLANNED DECISION TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND, IF I WAS UNABLE TO TOUCH DOWN AT A NORMAL SPEED IN THE FIRST 30 % OF THE RUNWAY. I CONCENTRATED ON MY APPROACH ANGLE AND SPEED AND REALIZED I WOULD TOUCH DOWN BEFORE MY PRE-DEFINED LIMIT.

TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL ON THE MAIN GEAR AFTER ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE RUNWAY, BUT WHEN I GENTLY LOWERED THE NOSE, THE PROP STRIKE RESULTED. THEN I IMMEDIATELY HELD THE YOKE BACK AND HAD NO IDEA WHY THE PROP STRIKE HAPPENED BUT COULD NOW FEEL THE NOSE GEAR EXTENDING FURTHER. THE NOSE GEAR NEVER DID COLLAPSE. I TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY WITH A RIGHT TURN ON TAXIWAY D. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND REQUESTED A TUG.

I REALIZED LATER THAT WHILE I WAS CONCENTRATING ON THE UNUSUAL SHORT APPROACH, I HAD FORGOTTEN TO MOVE THE GEAR LEVER TO THE DOWN POSITION. THE AUTOMATIC GEAR-EXTENSION SYSTEM OF MY AIRPLANE DEPLOYED AND PUT THE MAIN GEARS DOWN, BUT THE NOSE WHEEL WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED ON TOUCH DOWN, CAUSING THE PROP STRIKE.

WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VFR WITH LIGHT WIND FROM ABOUT 270. TIME WAS ABOUT 17:20. I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE.