# Incident 20230921015009I: Piper PA-28R-180, Saginaw, MI, September 21, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 21, 2023, 17:25 local time
- Place: Saginaw, MI
- Airport: Mbs International Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.5329° N, 84.0796° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MBS INTL (MBS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5329&lon=-84.0796&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7650J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7650J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-180 (registry code 7102809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 420 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230921015009I

## Narrative

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

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 AT 1725 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA-28R-180 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FOLLOWING A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE ON LANDING AT THE MBS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MBS), SAGINAW MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN.  BOTH THE PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE CHERRY CAPITOL AIRPORT (TVC), TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1630.

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS LANDING AT THE MT. PLEASANT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MOP) WHEN HE FELT A THUMP DURING THE LANDING FLARE. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE GEAR INDICATOR SHOWED THE NOSE GEAR NOT DOWN AND LOCKED, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A GO-AROUND TO ACCESS THE SITUATION THEN DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST TOWERED AIRPORT (SAGINAW). ONCE THERE, HE MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES BY THE TOWER TO INSPECT THE GEAR. THE TOWER INDICATED THE NOSE GEAR WAS HANGING AND NOT IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT SAGINAW BECAUSE OF SERVICES ON THE FIELD.

UPON LANDING THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ALLOWING THE NOSE TO DROP AND THE PROPELLOR TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY WHILE THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESSED. AIRPORT SERVICES RECOVERED THE AIRCRAFT AND PLACED IN SECURE STORAGE. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR DOORS AND COWL. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT A DEER HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING AT MT. PLEASANT.

## Other reports on N7650J (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20240515005489I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240515005489I), May 15, 2024: Piper PA-28R-180 (N7650J), Peoria, IL, Minor damage. Pilot lowered the landing gear and heard a loud noise. Pilot performed a fly-by the control tower and got confirmation that the landing gear was down. Pilot…

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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