What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative from PIC:
The intended trip was from Florida to Maryland to visit family for christmas.
The crew of the Piper arrow was 17 year old instrument student and CFI father in the front. Though not the student's regular instructor, the intention was to get the student some hours and additional instrument experience.
The descent into Orangeburg, SC for fuel commenced from smooth air at 9,000 ft. by 7,000 ft there was a moderate chop that got progressively worse during the descent. The AWOS was reporting winds 22G35.
The instrument student was flying the aircraft from the beginning of the descent until about a three mile final when he turned over the aircraft to his father due to the crosswinds and limited experience in the airplane. (He had no complex endorsement.)
Father, considering the crosswind, elected to keep only one notch of flaps. Absorbed in the gusty, crosswind landing, he failed to notice the landing gear had not been lowered and continued until the aircraft slid onto the pavement.
1) The primary failure was CRM. Father and son were not operating as a crew due to natural family dynamics that were not countered with defined expectations and training. PIC assignment and duties were amorphous. CFI father was paying more attention to the family situation and not enough to the demands of the aircraft.
2) The crosswinds and turbulence were a distraction.
3) The aircraft was infrequently flown. Most recent experience by father and son was in fixed gear aircraft. Son and not received complex endorsement and was unfamiliar with aircraft power settings.
4) The situation of landing from and approach visual conditions in a retractable gear aircraft was unusual and let to a failure to execute a gumps check.
5) The partial flap setting was insufficient to activate the gear warning system.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE FROM PIC:
THE INTENDED TRIP WAS FROM FLORIDA TO MARYLAND TO VISIT FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS.
THE CREW OF THE PIPER ARROW WAS 17 YEAR OLD INSTRUMENT STUDENT AND CFI FATHER IN THE FRONT. THOUGH NOT THE STUDENT'S REGULAR INSTRUCTOR, THE INTENTION WAS TO GET THE STUDENT SOME HOURS AND ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
THE DESCENT INTO ORANGEBURG, SC FOR FUEL COMMENCED FROM SMOOTH AIR AT 9,000 FT. BY 7,000 FT THERE WAS A MODERATE CHOP THAT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE DURING THE DESCENT. THE AWOS WAS REPORTING WINDS 22G35.
THE INSTRUMENT STUDENT WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE DESCENT UNTIL ABOUT A THREE MILE FINAL WHEN HE TURNED OVER THE AIRCRAFT TO HIS FATHER DUE TO THE CROSSWINDS AND LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE. (HE HAD NO COMPLEX ENDORSEMENT.)
FATHER, CONSIDERING THE CROSSWIND, ELECTED TO KEEP ONLY ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS. ABSORBED IN THE GUSTY, CROSSWIND LANDING, HE FAILED TO NOTICE THE LANDING GEAR HAD NOT BEEN LOWERED AND CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT SLID ONTO THE PAVEMENT.
1) THE PRIMARY FAILURE WAS CRM. FATHER AND SON WERE NOT OPERATING AS A CREW DUE TO NATURAL FAMILY DYNAMICS THAT WERE NOT COUNTERED WITH DEFINED EXPECTATIONS AND TRAINING. PIC ASSIGNMENT AND DUTIES WERE AMORPHOUS. CFI FATHER WAS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO THE FAMILY SITUATION AND NOT ENOUGH TO THE DEMANDS OF THE AIRCRAFT.
2) THE CROSSWINDS AND TURBULENCE WERE A DISTRACTION.
3) THE AIRCRAFT WAS INFREQUENTLY FLOWN. MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE BY FATHER AND SON WAS IN FIXED GEAR AIRCRAFT. SON AND NOT RECEIVED COMPLEX ENDORSEMENT AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH AIRCRAFT POWER SETTINGS.
4) THE SITUATION OF LANDING FROM AND APPROACH VISUAL CONDITIONS IN A RETRACTABLE GEAR AIRCRAFT WAS UNUSUAL AND LET TO A FAILURE TO EXECUTE A GUMPS CHECK.
5) THE PARTIAL FLAP SETTING WAS INSUFFICIENT TO ACTIVATE THE GEAR WARNING SYSTEM.
Other reports on N204ND · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.