20201031022059I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28RT-201 · Concord, NC · October 31, 2020

Date: October 31, 2020 · 13:00 local
Place: Concord, NC
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8326L
Reported as: Piper PA-28RT-201
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,983 total22 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

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 contacts tower with intentions

Pilot was advised he was number 1 for the field and makes a shorter base turn while parallel with traffic in the opposite downwind.

On base, pilot selects flaps 1 then flaps 2 in the downwind.

Turning base to final, the pilot stated he pulled the gear handle and selected flaps 3 per his normal SOP before his attention was diverted due to being high on the glide path.

Pilot never conducts final landing checklist or gumps check.

Pilot did not check gear lights

Pilot was concerned about his landing sight picture with his focus on the deck angle and not flaring too high.

Pilot fails to notice gear was not down and could not recall if he heard the gear horn

Aircraft lands wheels up causing the propeller to contact runway, and incur damage to flaps and fuselage. Engine subsequently stops running as aircraft is skidding down the runway.

Pilot radios for assistance and secures aircraft.

Aircraft is removed from active runway.

Sas: EA68202101114

As the FAA filed it

PILOT CONTACTS TOWER WITH INTENTIONS

PILOT WAS ADVISED HE WAS NUMBER 1 FOR THE FIELD AND MAKES A SHORTER BASE TURN WHILE PARALLEL WITH TRAFFIC IN THE OPPOSITE DOWNWIND.

ON BASE, PILOT SELECTS FLAPS 1 THEN FLAPS 2 IN THE DOWNWIND.

TURNING BASE TO FINAL, THE PILOT STATED HE PULLED THE GEAR HANDLE AND SELECTED FLAPS 3 PER HIS NORMAL SOP BEFORE HIS ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED DUE TO BEING HIGH ON THE GLIDE PATH.

PILOT NEVER CONDUCTS FINAL LANDING CHECKLIST OR GUMPS CHECK.

PILOT DID NOT CHECK GEAR LIGHTS

PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS LANDING SIGHT PICTURE WITH HIS FOCUS ON THE DECK ANGLE AND NOT FLARING TOO HIGH.

PILOT FAILS TO NOTICE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND COULD NOT RECALL IF HE HEARD THE GEAR HORN

AIRCRAFT LANDS WHEELS UP CAUSING THE PROPELLER TO CONTACT RUNWAY, AND INCUR DAMAGE TO FLAPS AND FUSELAGE. ENGINE SUBSEQUENTLY STOPS RUNNING AS AIRCRAFT IS SKIDDING DOWN THE RUNWAY.

PILOT RADIOS FOR ASSISTANCE AND SECURES AIRCRAFT.

AIRCRAFT IS REMOVED FROM ACTIVE RUNWAY.

SAS: EA68202101114