What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 7, 2020, a Piper PA-28R-200, s/n 28R-7235157, N66JJ, experienced an electrical system power loss with gear up landing at kcxo, Conroe-north houston regional airport. The aircraft was on an IFR flight plan from koch, nacogdoches a l mangham jr. regional airport, to kdwh, david wayne hooks memorial airport.
The flight was being conducted as a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The private pilot had rented the aircraft from Texas flight (dwh) and had previously completed a VFR flight from kdwh to koch prior to the incident flight. The pilot stated that he had departed koch in route to kdwh when he started to experience a loss of electrical power. He indicated that his first choice was to land at klfk, angelina co. airport, but was unable to get the gear lowered and did not want to change the radio frequency to activate the runway lights. With the gear unable to extend, he did not want to go into an airport that was not controlled. He stated that he then advised ATC that he would continue to kcxo so that he could have the tower check to see if the landing gear had extended. As he got closer to kcxo he noticed that the electrical system continued to degrade and requested to ATC to use their light gun to give him an indication if the landing gear were extended in case he lost all communications with the tower. Upon entering the kcxo airspace he heard the kcxo tower attempt to communicate with him, thereafter he lost all communication. He initiated his final approach and attempted to lower the landing gear using the emergency extension. Because of the electrical failure with no positive gear indication, he was unable to determine if the gear had extended. At this point, he slowed the aircraft as much as possible and landed the aircraft, skidding down runway 14 until he came to a complete stop and exited the plane.
The aircraft was up righted using air bags and the landing gear was secured in the extended position. Further investigation revealed that the field wire was broken at the electrical terminal on the alternator. The aircraft was put into a safe for flight condition and a special flight permit was issued and the aircraft was ferried back to kdwh, where it was placed on aircraft jacks and an operational check of the landing gear retraction/extension system, along with the emergency extension system, was conducted. All operational checks of the landing gear system checked satisfactory.
The aircraft records indicate that the last airframe, engine & propeller 100 hour inspections were completed at hobbs time 1988.1. At the time of the incident, the aircraft had accumulated approximately 10.9 hours since the 100 hour inspection.
When the NTSB report and any other additional information become
Available, this report will be amended as necessary.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 7, 2020, A PIPER PA-28R-200, S/N 28R-7235157, N66JJ, EXPERIENCED AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM POWER LOSS WITH GEAR UP LANDING AT KCXO, CONROE-NORTH HOUSTON REGIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM KOCH, NACOGDOCHES A L MANGHAM JR. REGIONAL AIRPORT, TO KDWH, DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEMORIAL AIRPORT.
THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD RENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM TEXAS FLIGHT (DWH) AND HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED A VFR FLIGHT FROM KDWH TO KOCH PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED KOCH IN ROUTE TO KDWH WHEN HE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER. HE INDICATED THAT HIS FIRST CHOICE WAS TO LAND AT KLFK, ANGELINA CO. AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE GEAR LOWERED AND DID NOT WANT TO CHANGE THE RADIO FREQUENCY TO ACTIVATE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS. WITH THE GEAR UNABLE TO EXTEND, HE DID NOT WANT TO GO INTO AN AIRPORT THAT WAS NOT CONTROLLED. HE STATED THAT HE THEN ADVISED ATC THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE TO KCXO SO THAT HE COULD HAVE THE TOWER CHECK TO SEE IF THE LANDING GEAR HAD EXTENDED. AS HE GOT CLOSER TO KCXO HE NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONTINUED TO DEGRADE AND REQUESTED TO ATC TO USE THEIR LIGHT GUN TO GIVE HIM AN INDICATION IF THE LANDING GEAR WERE EXTENDED IN CASE HE LOST ALL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE TOWER. UPON ENTERING THE KCXO AIRSPACE HE HEARD THE KCXO TOWER ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH HIM, THEREAFTER HE LOST ALL COMMUNICATION. HE INITIATED HIS FINAL APPROACH AND ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR USING THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION. BECAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WITH NO POSITIVE GEAR INDICATION, HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE GEAR HAD EXTENDED. AT THIS POINT, HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT, SKIDDING DOWN RUNWAY 14 UNTIL HE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND EXITED THE PLANE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS UP RIGHTED USING AIR BAGS AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS SECURED IN THE EXTENDED POSITION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FIELD WIRE WAS BROKEN AT THE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL ON THE ALTERNATOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUT INTO A SAFE FOR FLIGHT CONDITION AND A SPECIAL FLIGHT PERMIT WAS ISSUED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FERRIED BACK TO KDWH, WHERE IT WAS PLACED ON AIRCRAFT JACKS AND AN OPERATIONAL CHECK OF THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION/EXTENSION SYSTEM, ALONG WITH THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEM, WAS CONDUCTED. ALL OPERATIONAL CHECKS OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM CHECKED SATISFACTORY.
THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST AIRFRAME, ENGINE & PROPELLER 100 HOUR INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED AT HOBBS TIME 1988.1. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 10.9 HOURS SINCE THE 100 HOUR INSPECTION.
WHEN THE NTSB REPORT AND ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOME
AVAILABLE, THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS NECESSARY.
Other reports on N66JJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.