# Accident 20220415008119A: Piper PA-24-400, Benson, AZ, April 15, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 15, 2022, 05:30 local time
- Place: Benson, AZ
- Airport: Benson Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.9997° N, 110.3598° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.9997&lon=-110.3598&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8493P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8493P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-400 (registry code 7102408, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-400) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-720 series (registry code 41546, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-720-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-400
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-720
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,228 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR22LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA180) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220415008119A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS APPROACHING E-95 AT ABOUT 0530 ON 04/15/2022, MADE USUAL RADIO CALLS AND POWER SETTINGS AT 14 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE AND 2400 RPM.

AFTER THIRD RADIO CALL, A MEDICAL HELICOPTER THAT HAD JUST DEPARTED E-95 INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A FLOCK OF DEER AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 10.

PILOT TURNED ON LANDING LIGHTS, DROPPED THE GEAR AND STARTED THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 10. PILOT DID NOT VISUALIZE ANY ANIMAL ACTIVITY AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. WHEN PLANE CAME TO A STOP, I NOTICED NOSE WAS DOWN, TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL, EXITED PLANE IMMEDIATELY. ACCORDING TO PERSONNEL WHO RECOVERED THE AIRPLANE, THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED. WHEN LIFTED THE LANDING GEAR REMAINED IN A PARTIALLY EXTENDED POSITION AND THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT OPERATE WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED TO THE AIRPLANE AND THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS MANIPULATED. THE LANDING GEAR SUBSEQUENTLY LOWERED AND LOCKED WHEN THE EMERGENCY GEAR SYSTEM WAS UTILIZED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE SKINS, FRAMES, AND STRINGERS ON THE UNDERBELLY OF THE FUSELAGE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR22LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR22LA180), Apr 15, 2022: Piper PA-24-400 (N8493P), Benson, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to lower the landing gear on approach due to distraction.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.