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20210413003629I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-32R-301 · Winter Haven, FL · April 13, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 13, 2021 · 07:40 local
Place
Winter Haven, FL
Airport
Winter Haven Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8386B
Reported as
Piper PA-32R-301
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
647 total320 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N8386BRegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301S/N 32R-8113068 · Built 1981Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

Pilot was at Winter Haven Regional Airport (kgif) on a clear sunny day, no wind. Pilot took off at approximately 0710 with intentions of practicing touch and go full landings with aircraft N8386B PA-32R-301, owned by him. The pilot has over 600 hours in flight time experience with about half in this particular PA-32R aircraft. After completing two full take-off and landings and full gear down and up cycles, the pilot, privacy data omitteddecided to practice low approach, engine out simulation. He communicated his intentions to UNICOM stating a full stop and taxi back to RWY5 where there was little traffic. As the pilot was intently focused on airspeed management and the low approach, the pilot ignored the gear up warning horn thinking he had more time to put the gear down once his approach was established. The pilot landed the aircraft, immediately felt the lack of soft rubber, and heard scrapping as the aircraft skidded to a stop in the grass. The pilot was not injured and knew he did not put the gear down and admitted to not utilizing the approach/landing checklist. No other ground injuries, property damage or aircraft mechanical irregularities noted on the aircraft. The aircraft propeller was damaged from striking the ground on landing, scrapes to the fuselage belly and landing gear door damage is being evaluated.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS AT WINTER HAVEN REGIONAL AIRPORT (KGIF) ON A CLEAR SUNNY DAY, NO WIND. PILOT TOOK OFF AT APPROXIMATELY 0710 WITH INTENTIONS OF PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO FULL LANDINGS WITH AIRCRAFT N8386B PA-32R-301, OWNED BY HIM. THE PILOT HAS OVER 600 HOURS IN FLIGHT TIME EXPERIENCE WITH ABOUT HALF IN THIS PARTICULAR PA-32R AIRCRAFT. AFTER COMPLETING TWO FULL TAKE-OFF AND LANDINGS AND FULL GEAR DOWN AND UP CYCLES, THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^DECIDED TO PRACTICE LOW APPROACH, ENGINE OUT SIMULATION. HE COMMUNICATED HIS INTENTIONS TO UNICOM STATING A FULL STOP AND TAXI BACK TO RWY5 WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE TRAFFIC. AS THE PILOT WAS INTENTLY FOCUSED ON AIRSPEED MANAGEMENT AND THE LOW APPROACH, THE PILOT IGNORED THE GEAR UP WARNING HORN THINKING HE HAD MORE TIME TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN ONCE HIS APPROACH WAS ESTABLISHED. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT, IMMEDIATELY FELT THE LACK OF SOFT RUBBER, AND HEARD SCRAPPING AS THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED TO A STOP IN THE GRASS. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND KNEW HE DID NOT PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND ADMITTED TO NOT UTILIZING THE APPROACH/LANDING CHECKLIST. NO OTHER GROUND INJURIES, PROPERTY DAMAGE OR AIRCRAFT MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES NOTED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED FROM STRIKING THE GROUND ON LANDING, SCRAPES TO THE FUSELAGE BELLY AND LANDING GEAR DOOR DAMAGE IS BEING EVALUATED.