What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 2, 2020, about 1635 eastern daylight time, a Piper P-28R-200 arrow, N61566, sustained minor damage when it was involved in a gear up landing in Troy, Michigan. No injuries to pilot or passenger. The aircraft was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations CFR part 91 personal flight.
The pilot was flying from venango airport, pa to Oakland/Troy Airport, MI. There was one passenger on board.
Both oral and written statements were taken from the pilot and this is a summary of what was noted.
? Near detroit city airport the garmin GPS lost power. Within 90 seconds to 2 minutes he lost power to the communications and then lost the transponder.
? He was about 10 miles from Troy and decided to continue on to Troy. He figured he had an electrical failure.
? He focused on flying the airplane and never thought to diagnose the electrical issue and did not reference the POH
? He set-up approach to runway 27, ran his gumps check, felt a bump when he put the gear lever down and thought the gear was down. He did not have gear lights, to include the transition light.
? He did not check electrical circuit breakers and he understands the battery to have about 20 to 30 minutes of power. The no gear indicating lights did not bother him because of the power issue.
? He is aware of the alternate emergency gear extension procedure, but felt there was no ramification to use emergency gear extension procedure and understands that the alternate gear extension will work without electrical power. He did not consult the POH for emergency procedures, he felt what he thought there was a gear drop, a thump.
? He had enough juice for intercom. He performed his last chance (2nd) gumps check again on final. He leveled off over the runway and his airspeed bled off. When he landed he got a crunch.
? The aircraft spun almost 180 degrees and stayed on the runway. He did not remember, but thought he hit left rudder, yawed and stopped on the runway. He turned off the master and mags.
? Passenger grabbed and released the door lower latch and pilot in command released the upper latch and they exited the aircraft.
The aircraft touched down approximately half way down runway 27 and came to rest about three quarters of the way down, after sliding approximately 300 feet
A witness also reported seeing the gear up, right before the aircraft touched down
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 2, 2020, ABOUT 1635 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER P-28R-200 ARROW, N61566, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN A GEAR UP LANDING IN TROY, MICHIGAN. NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT WAS FLYING FROM VENANGO AIRPORT, PA TO OAKLAND/TROY AIRPORT, MI. THERE WAS ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD.
BOTH ORAL AND WRITTEN STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN FROM THE PILOT AND THIS IS A SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS NOTED.
? NEAR DETROIT CITY AIRPORT THE GARMIN GPS LOST POWER. WITHIN 90 SECONDS TO 2 MINUTES HE LOST POWER TO THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THEN LOST THE TRANSPONDER.
? HE WAS ABOUT 10 MILES FROM TROY AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO TROY. HE FIGURED HE HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE.
? HE FOCUSED ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND NEVER THOUGHT TO DIAGNOSE THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND DID NOT REFERENCE THE POH
? HE SET-UP APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27, RAN HIS GUMPS CHECK, FELT A BUMP WHEN HE PUT THE GEAR LEVER DOWN AND THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. HE DID NOT HAVE GEAR LIGHTS, TO INCLUDE THE TRANSITION LIGHT.
? HE DID NOT CHECK ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND HE UNDERSTANDS THE BATTERY TO HAVE ABOUT 20 TO 30 MINUTES OF POWER. THE NO GEAR INDICATING LIGHTS DID NOT BOTHER HIM BECAUSE OF THE POWER ISSUE.
? HE IS AWARE OF THE ALTERNATE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE, BUT FELT THERE WAS NO RAMIFICATION TO USE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE AND UNDERSTANDS THAT THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION WILL WORK WITHOUT ELECTRICAL POWER. HE DID NOT CONSULT THE POH FOR EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, HE FELT WHAT HE THOUGHT THERE WAS A GEAR DROP, A THUMP.
? HE HAD ENOUGH JUICE FOR INTERCOM. HE PERFORMED HIS LAST CHANCE (2ND) GUMPS CHECK AGAIN ON FINAL. HE LEVELED OFF OVER THE RUNWAY AND HIS AIRSPEED BLED OFF. WHEN HE LANDED HE GOT A CRUNCH.
? THE AIRCRAFT SPUN ALMOST 180 DEGREES AND STAYED ON THE RUNWAY. HE DID NOT REMEMBER, BUT THOUGHT HE HIT LEFT RUDDER, YAWED AND STOPPED ON THE RUNWAY. HE TURNED OFF THE MASTER AND MAGS.
? PASSENGER GRABBED AND RELEASED THE DOOR LOWER LATCH AND PILOT IN COMMAND RELEASED THE UPPER LATCH AND THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY DOWN RUNWAY 27 AND CAME TO REST ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY DOWN, AFTER SLIDING APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET
A WITNESS ALSO REPORTED SEEING THE GEAR UP, RIGHT BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN
Other reports on N16566 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.