20211203021259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-201 · Lititz, PA · December 3, 2021

Date
December 3, 2021 · 13:25 local
Place
Lititz, PA
Airport
Lancaster
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N17FV
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
134 total14 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

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.

December 03, 2021, at approximately 12:30 pm local time the airman departed Lancaster Airport (klns) on a solo practice flight. This was the pilot's first solo flight in the aircraft after receiving a "complex aircraft" endorsement. After performing manuevers in the practice area the airman stated he ?entered a busy traffic pattern with several other aircraft. On downwind, at the point that I normally lower the landing gear, I was contacted by the control tower and instructed to follow other traffic. My focus was on controlling speed and separation with the aircraft I was following?. The airman failed to lower the landing gear prior to touchdown resulting in a gear up landing.

As the FAA filed it

DECEMBER 03, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM LOCAL TIME THE AIRMAN DEPARTED LANCASTER AIRPORT (KLNS) ON A SOLO PRACTICE FLIGHT. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST SOLO FLIGHT IN THE AIRCRAFT AFTER RECEIVING A "COMPLEX AIRCRAFT" ENDORSEMENT. AFTER PERFORMING MANUEVERS IN THE PRACTICE AREA THE AIRMAN STATED HE ?ENTERED A BUSY TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH SEVERAL OTHER AIRCRAFT. ON DOWNWIND, AT THE POINT THAT I NORMALLY LOWER THE LANDING GEAR, I WAS CONTACTED BY THE CONTROL TOWER AND INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW OTHER TRAFFIC. MY FOCUS WAS ON CONTROLLING SPEED AND SEPARATION WITH THE AIRCRAFT I WAS FOLLOWING?. THE AIRMAN FAILED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN RESULTING IN A GEAR UP LANDING.