# Incident 20230412003499I: Piper PA-32R-301T, Kalamazoo, MI, April 12, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 2023, 12:46 local time
- Place: Kalamazoo, MI
- Airport: Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.2344° N, 85.5516° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTL (AZO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2344&lon=-85.5516&mi=10
- Aircraft: N568C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N568C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301T (registry code 7103220, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32R-301T
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,048 total, 500 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230412003499I

## Narrative

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

ON OR ABOUT APRIL 12, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1246 EDT, A 2001 PIPER PA-32R-310T, A FIXED-WING SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AFTER LANDING WITHOUT THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED AT THE KALAMAZOO / BATTLE CREEK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KAZO) IN KALAMAZOO, MI. THE PIC STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (14 CFR) PART 91.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND THE FOLLOWING IS THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM THE KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KAZO) AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE INCIDENT:

METAR KAZO 121553Z 25018G25KT 10SM CLR 24/08 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP159 T02390083

THE PIC STATED THAT AS HE APPROACHED KAZO, HE WAS HANDED OFF TO THE TOWER AND SUBSEQUENTLY CLEARED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35. THE PIC RECALLED THERE WERE GUSTY CROSSWINDS AT THE TIME OF HIS ARRIVAL, STATING HE WAS “FIGHTING A CROSSWIND LIKE I’VE NEVER ENCOUNTERED.” THE PIC ADMITS THAT ALL OF HIS FOCUS WAS ON MAINTAINING RUNWAY ALIGNMENT. DUE TO HIS FIXATION ON CONTROLLING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PIC FORGOT TO PERFORM HIS BEFORE-LANDING CHECKS, WHICH INCLUDED LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. AS A RESULT OF FAILING TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE-LANDING CHECKS, THE PIC LANDED ON RUNWAY 35 AT KAZO WITHOUT THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. THE PIC WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT UNDER HIS OWN POWER, AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

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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