# Incident 20210711019059I: Piper PA-31, Taylorville, IL, July 11, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 11, 2021, 11:30 local time
- Place: Taylorville, IL
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5634° N, 89.3180° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Taylorville, IL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5634&lon=-89.3180&mi=10
- Aircraft: CGGQU (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210711019059I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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