OpenAirDocs.org

20210711019059I

Incident · No damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31 · Taylorville, IL · July 11, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 11, 2021 · 11:30 local
Place
Taylorville, IL
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
CGGQU
Reported as
Piper PA-31
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,000 total

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.

Foreign aircraft cggqu, a Piper navajo, departed ocala, Florida (kocf) for final destination of manitoba Canada. The pilot planned along his route to refuel in Taylorville, IL (ktaz). While setting up for landing the pilot extended his landing gear and received no green light on his left main landing gear indicator to confirm gear down and locked. The pilot elected to trouble shoot his gear issue and run the appropriate checklist on a wide pattern for landing at ktaz. The issue continued after the pilots checks. The pilot explained he wanted to be sure the gear was fully extended and was able to reach a jump school pilot at ktaz on the UNICOM frequency for assistance with visual confirmation of the extended gear. While entered in the pattern circuit and preparing for final landing, the aircrafts left engine lost power and due to lack of performance the pilot explained he elected to continue straight ahead and land in a bean field vs. continue to the runway. The aircraft touched down with no damage to aircraft and its propellers in the bean field. After maintenance inspection at the Taylorville airport the aircraft was suspected to have been very low on fuel. While the pilot was troubleshooting his gear situation to meet the landing gear emergency he had also diminished his required fuel reserve.

As the FAA filed it

FOREIGN AIRCRAFT CGGQU, A PIPER NAVAJO, DEPARTED OCALA, FLORIDA (KOCF) FOR FINAL DESTINATION OF MANITOBA CANADA. THE PILOT PLANNED ALONG HIS ROUTE TO REFUEL IN TAYLORVILLE, IL (KTAZ). WHILE SETTING UP FOR LANDING THE PILOT EXTENDED HIS LANDING GEAR AND RECEIVED NO GREEN LIGHT ON HIS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR INDICATOR TO CONFIRM GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO TROUBLE SHOOT HIS GEAR ISSUE AND RUN THE APPROPRIATE CHECKLIST ON A WIDE PATTERN FOR LANDING AT KTAZ. THE ISSUE CONTINUED AFTER THE PILOTS CHECKS. THE PILOT EXPLAINED HE WANTED TO BE SURE THE GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED AND WAS ABLE TO REACH A JUMP SCHOOL PILOT AT KTAZ ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY FOR ASSISTANCE WITH VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF THE EXTENDED GEAR. WHILE ENTERED IN THE PATTERN CIRCUIT AND PREPARING FOR FINAL LANDING, THE AIRCRAFTS LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER AND DUE TO LACK OF PERFORMANCE THE PILOT EXPLAINED HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND LAND IN A BEAN FIELD VS. CONTINUE TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT AND ITS PROPELLERS IN THE BEAN FIELD. AFTER MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AT THE TAYLORVILLE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUSPECTED TO HAVE BEEN VERY LOW ON FUEL. WHILE THE PILOT WAS TROUBLESHOOTING HIS GEAR SITUATION TO MEET THE LANDING GEAR EMERGENCY HE HAD ALSO DIMINISHED HIS REQUIRED FUEL RESERVE.