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20201119015989A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301T · Penrose, CO · November 19, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 19, 2020 · 18:30 local
Place
Penrose, CO
Airport
Fremont County
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4187H
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN21LA065
Reported as
Piper PA-32R-301T
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,793 total79 in the last 90 days
N4187HRegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301TS/N 3257196 · Built 2000Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301TEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Alternator belt broke during cruise flight so pilot returned to airport on battery power. Approximately 1.5 miles from airport keyed mike to brighten runway lights and lowered landing gear. Actuation of landing gear drained remainder of battery. Could not verify if landing gear was down. Copilot used cell phone light to aid pilot in instrument viewing for landing. Landing gear was not extended resulting in belly landing and prop strike at low power setting. Post flight inspection found shredded alternator belt in the engine cowling.

As the FAA filed it

ALTERNATOR BELT BROKE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT SO PILOT RETURNED TO AIRPORT ON BATTERY POWER. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES FROM AIRPORT KEYED MIKE TO BRIGHTEN RUNWAY LIGHTS AND LOWERED LANDING GEAR. ACTUATION OF LANDING GEAR DRAINED REMAINDER OF BATTERY. COULD NOT VERIFY IF LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN. COPILOT USED CELL PHONE LIGHT TO AID PILOT IN INSTRUMENT VIEWING FOR LANDING. LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED RESULTING IN BELLY LANDING AND PROP STRIKE AT LOW POWER SETTING. POST FLIGHT INSPECTION FOUND SHREDDED ALTERNATOR BELT IN THE ENGINE COWLING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN21LA065Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCanon City, COThe failure of the alternator drive belt, which resulted in insufficient electrical power to extend the landing gear and a subsequent gear-up landing. .Nov 20, 2020 · Substantial damage