# Incident 20220519019589I: Piper PA-24-250, Del Rio, TX, May 19, 2022 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 19, 2022, 09:56 local time - Place: Del Rio, TX - Airport: Del Rio International - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.3742° N, 100.9272° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DEL RIO INTL (DRT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3742&lon=-100.9272&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7950P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7950P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,400 total, 611 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220519019589I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. STATEMENT AS PROVIDED BY PILOT IN COMMAND: ON MAY 19, 2022, I DEPARTED PLEASANTON AIRPORT AROUND 0850 IN MY PIPER COMANCHE PA-24-250. DEPARTED AIRSTRIP AND CLIMBED TO 6500 MSL ALL SYSTEM WERE NORMAL COMPLETED CHECKS AND CONNECTED WITH SAN ANTONIO ATC FOR FLIGHT FOLLOWING. PICKED UP CLOUD COVER AROUND UVALDE TEXAS AND WAS VFR ON TOP WITH FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH HOUSTON ATC. WAS HANDED OFF TO LAUGHLIN ATC AND STARTED DECENT TO 3000 MSL REMAINED VFR ABOVE CLOUD LAYER. WHEN OVER LAUGHLIN AND ABOUT 5 MILES FROM DEL RIO AIRPORT I RADIOED LAFB ATC THAT I WOULD STAY WITH THEM UNTIL I COULD REACH A BREAK IN CLOUDS SO I COULD DESCEND TO PATTERN ALTITUDE. I FOUND THAT CLOUDS WERE BROKEN AROUND 2 MILES FROM DEL RIO AND STARTED MY DESCENT. WHEN I WAS OVER MID FIELD OF DEL RIO AIRPORT, I STARTED MY LANDING CHECK LIST. AT THIS TIME LAFB ATC ADVISED ME TO SWITCH TO DEL RIO FREQUENCY. I WENT TO MY RADIO AND SWITCHED FREQUENCY AND THEN COMPLETED MY CHECK LIST. I FEEL THIS IS THE POINT MY CHECK LIST WAS INTERRUPTED, AND I MISSED THE GEAR. I ENTERED A DOWN WIND FOR RUNWAY 13 THEN TURNED RIGHT BASE AND THEN ENTERED SHORT FINAL. WHEN ON SHORT FINAL I HAD SOME TURBULENCE WHEN CROSSING END OF RUNWAY, I ADJUSTED AND CONTINUED DOWN RUNWAY. I NOTICED THAT PLANE WAS FLOATING MORE THEN NORMAL DOWN THE RUNWAY AT THIS TIME I PULLED TO IDLE AND HEARD THE GEAR WARNING HORN. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED GEAR WAS NOT DOWN AND I WAS TOO CLOSE TO GROUND TO EXECUTE A GO AROUND. I WAS CONCERNED THAT PROP WOULD HIT GROUND AT A HIGH RPM AND EITHER SEND AIRCRAFT OUT OF CONTROL OR I WOULD BE BACK IN AIR WITH A DAMAGED PROP THAT COULD FAIL DURING FLIGHT. I MADE THE CHOICE THAT IT WAS BETTER TO KEEP AT IDLE AND NOSE UP TO LAND AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AROUND 1500 FEET FROM THRESHOLD AND SLID 425 FT. TO A STOP. I TURNED FUEL POWER OFF AND EXITED PLANE. HAD PLANE OFF RUNWAY WITHIN 30-45 MINUTES. INSPECTION OF AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT ONLY SKIN OF AIRCRAFT ON UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DAMAGED. THE FRAME STRUCTURE OF PLANE HAD NOT BEEN DAMAGED THE FLAPS WERE DAMAGED BUT REPAIRABLE. PROP WAS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR AND ENGINE WILL NEED TO BE REMOVED AND INSPECTED. I SUSTAINED NO INJURIES, AND NO OTHER PERSON OR PROPERTY WAS DAMAGED. ## Other reports on N7950P (5) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20121020024989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121020024989A), Oct 20, 2012: Piper PA-24-250 (N7950P), South Lake Taho, CA, Substantial damage. 10/20/12 At 1723, the pilot reported that he failed to lower landing gear and landed gear up on runway 18 at south lake tahoe (tvl). He was the only occupant… - [Incident 20041206032839I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041206032839I), Dec 6, 2004: Piper PA24250 (N7950P), Fullerton, CA, Minor damage. (-23) Excerpts taken from pilot interview). After departure from psp, the pilot noticed an electrical failure during landing gear retract cycle. The pilot… - [Incident 20030515012869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030515012869I), May 15, 2003: Piper PA24250 (N7950P), Fullerton, CA, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot stated that he lost directional control during take off portion of the flight. During the take off roll, the pilot told his passenger to apply… - [Incident 19941107037889I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941107037889I), Nov 7, 1994: Piper PA24250 (N7950P), Milwaukee, WI, Minor damage. Forgot extend gear for landing. Landed gear up. - [Incident 19870724048249I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870724048249I), Jul 24, 1987: Piper PA24250 (N7950P), Osage Beach, MO, Minor damage. Pilot forgot to extend the gear for landing. 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.