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20210105000019I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-30 · Arkadelphia, AR · January 5, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 5, 2021 · 11:30 local
Place
Arkadelphia, AR
Airport
Florence Memorial
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
H2US
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7305Y
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,925 total105 in this make and model160 in the last 90 days
N7305YRegistered now · Piper PA-30S/N 30-350 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

Investigation: on January 5, 2021 at kadf at approximately 1130(l), N7305Y, suffered a gear up landing on a training flight with a CFI and student while conducting traffic patterns training for a multi-engine instructor rating. No injuries or regulatory violations occurred.

Investigation revealed that the most likely scenario is that the CFI and student both failed to move the gear handle to the down position and failed to check the "gear down and locked" light. Both pilots indicated in a statement that they thought the gear was down and had checked it, however the maintenance team moved the aircraft, placed it on jack stands, and cycled the gear handle. The gear moved freely and light illuminated when the gear was down and locked. Further investigation revealed that the gear handle selector was in the down position and the circuit breaker popped for the landing gear system. Evidence suggests that this configuration was due to the landing gear handle being placed in the down position after landing.

Root cause analysis: complacency of the CFI.

Corrective action: compliance action issued to the student, and recommend usc 44709 for the CFI.

Comments: the air agency (henderson state university) asst. Chief implemented a safety stand down day as well as reviewed checklists, tco's, and procedures. Both poi and air agency leadership confident that this is an isolated incident.

As the FAA filed it

INVESTIGATION: ON JANUARY 5, 2021 AT KADF AT APPROXIMATELY 1130(L), N7305Y, SUFFERED A GEAR UP LANDING ON A TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A CFI AND STUDENT WHILE CONDUCTING TRAFFIC PATTERNS TRAINING FOR A MULTI-ENGINE INSTRUCTOR RATING. NO INJURIES OR REGULATORY VIOLATIONS OCCURRED.

INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO IS THAT THE CFI AND STUDENT BOTH FAILED TO MOVE THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POSITION AND FAILED TO CHECK THE "GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED" LIGHT. BOTH PILOTS INDICATED IN A STATEMENT THAT THEY THOUGHT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND HAD CHECKED IT, HOWEVER THE MAINTENANCE TEAM MOVED THE AIRCRAFT, PLACED IT ON JACK STANDS, AND CYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE. THE GEAR MOVED FREELY AND LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHEN THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE SELECTOR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION AND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED FOR THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM. EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THIS CONFIGURATION WAS DUE TO THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE BEING PLACED IN THE DOWN POSITION AFTER LANDING.

ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS: COMPLACENCY OF THE CFI.

CORRECTIVE ACTION: COMPLIANCE ACTION ISSUED TO THE STUDENT, AND RECOMMEND USC 44709 FOR THE CFI.

COMMENTS: THE AIR AGENCY (HENDERSON STATE UNIVERSITY) ASST. CHIEF IMPLEMENTED A SAFETY STAND DOWN DAY AS WELL AS REVIEWED CHECKLISTS, TCO'S, AND PROCEDURES. BOTH POI AND AIR AGENCY LEADERSHIP CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.