# Incident 20200604008439I: Piper PA-30, Salem, OR, June 4, 2020

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 4, 2020, 18:21 local time
- Place: Salem, OR
- Airport: Mcnary Field Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.9094° N, 123.0025° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9094&lon=-123.0025&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8244Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8244Y) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,500 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA252) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200604008439I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020, A PIPER PA-30, REGISTERED AS N8244Y, WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT FROM ROGUE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL - MEDFORD AIRPORT (KMFR) IN MEDFORD, OR, DESTINED FOR MCMINNVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMMV) IN MCMINNVILLE, OR.

AFTER DEPARTURE FROM KMFR, THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE HEARD AN UNUSUAL LOUD NOISE WHILE THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT TO THE UP POSITION.  HE OBSERVED NORMAL LANDING GEAR UP LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT.  HE COULD ALSO SEE THE NOSE GEAR WAS UP AND NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE CLOSED IN THE EXTERNAL MIRROR.  THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE INDICATED AIRSPEED FOR CLIMB AND CRUISE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL.

IN THE VICINITY OF KMMV, THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT HE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND PUT THE LANDING GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION.  HE REPORTED NO GREEN LIGHT INDICATION FROM THE LANDING GEAR AND SAW IN THE MIRROR THAT THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE OPEN BUT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT DOWN.

THE PILOT FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT HE CLIMBED IN ALTITUDE AND BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING THE LANDING GEAR.  HE REPORTED THAT HE TRIED RESETTING THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CYCLING THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS.

HE CIRCLIED THE AIRPORT AND SPOKE TO INDIVIDUALS ON THE GROUND WHO VERIFIED THAT HIS LANDING GEAR DID NOT APPEAR TO BE FULLY EXTENDED.  HE EXPLAINED THAT HE TRIED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE WITHOUT SUCCESS.

THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO FLY TO MCNARY FIELD AIRPORT (KSLE) IN SALEM, OR DUE TO BETTER EMERGENCY SERVICES.  HE STATED WHEN HE ARRIVED AT KSLE HE FLEW BY THE CONTROL TOWER AND THE CONTROLLER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT FULLY EXTENDED.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THEN ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR UP LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 AT KSLE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR20LA252](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA252), Jun 5, 2020: Piper PA 30 (N8244Y), Salem, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: A fatigue failure of the right main landing gear trunnion.

## Other reports on N8244Y (1)

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

- [Incident 19911001050979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911001050979I), Oct 1, 1991: Piper PA30 (N8244Y), Tucson, AZ, Minor damage. Student forgot to lower landing gear on a practice single engine approach. Landed gear up.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.