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20231014016499I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY LSA · Kissimmee, FL · October 14, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 14, 2023 · 11:13 local
Place
Kissimmee, FL
Airport
Kissimmee Gateway
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N956BC
Reported as
Progressive Aerodyne Searey LSA
Reported engine
ROTAX 914UL
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
21,500 total360 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N956BCRegistered now · Progressive Aerodyne SEAREY LSAS/N 1066 · Built 2017Airframe modelProgressive Aerodyne SEAREY LSAEngine modelRotax 914UL4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

PIC statement:

"On 10/14/2023 I was taxiing out for a flight in privacy data omitted on taxiway (a) at kism around 9:30 in the morning. As I was passing runway 33 exit A1 I began my pre-takeoff checks prior to reaching the runup area for rwy 33. Since my aircraft doesn’t have safety switches to prevent raising the gear on the ground I have made it a practice to pull the landing gear circuit breakers after landing and reset them during my before takeoff check. After performing my fuel pump test I reset the left gear circuit breaker. Too late I realized that the landing gear handle* was in the up position. The retraction of the left gear was too quick to stop the retraction.

I had done some cleaning in the cockpit earlier and I must have inadvertently moved to switch to the up position and failed to catch it prior to the incident. In an attempt to catch the error at the time I lowered the switch and raised it again causing the retraction mechanism to rupture an attachment fitting to the gear."

* Landing gear switch

As the FAA filed it

PIC STATEMENT:

"ON 10/14/2023 I WAS TAXIING OUT FOR A FLIGHT IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON TAXIWAY (A) AT KISM AROUND 9:30 IN THE MORNING. AS I WAS PASSING RUNWAY 33 EXIT A1 I BEGAN MY PRE-TAKEOFF CHECKS PRIOR TO REACHING THE RUNUP AREA FOR RWY 33. SINCE MY AIRCRAFT DOESN’T HAVE SAFETY SWITCHES TO PREVENT RAISING THE GEAR ON THE GROUND I HAVE MADE IT A PRACTICE TO PULL THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKERS AFTER LANDING AND RESET THEM DURING MY BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECK. AFTER PERFORMING MY FUEL PUMP TEST I RESET THE LEFT GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER. TOO LATE I REALIZED THAT THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE* WAS IN THE UP POSITION. THE RETRACTION OF THE LEFT GEAR WAS TOO QUICK TO STOP THE RETRACTION.

I HAD DONE SOME CLEANING IN THE COCKPIT EARLIER AND I MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY MOVED TO SWITCH TO THE UP POSITION AND FAILED TO CATCH IT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH THE ERROR AT THE TIME I LOWERED THE SWITCH AND RAISED IT AGAIN CAUSING THE RETRACTION MECHANISM TO RUPTURE AN ATTACHMENT FITTING TO THE GEAR."

* LANDING GEAR SWITCH