What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Dra: helena/west helena, AR (hee): privacy data omitted PA30, pilot reported possible right engine failure and unsafe gear indication. Acft landed gear up on grass strip adjacent to rwy 18/36. POB: 1, injuries: none, damage: minor. 05/11/2024 1800Z
privacy data omitted Departed clark county airport, ms (23M) around 1100 for personal flight to deliver aircraft to home location, mt home, AR. Only 1 pilot on board, 60 years old male. Aircraft diverted into helena-west helena municipal airport (khee) due to unknown engine malfunctions. On final approach landing gear would not extend normally and the aircraft belly into the median. There were no injuries.
Iic notified on 05/11/2024 around 1700 and inspectors from this FSDO arrived on scene around 1030 on 05/13/2024.
Interview with the pilot, and his written statement indicated that all phases of flight leading up to incident were normal & uneventful. Issues started when the fuel tanks were swapped from main to auxiliary tanks and engines began to sputter. The first available airfield was helena-west helena municipal airport (khee). Running landing checklist, the gear handle was placed in the down position and there was no reaction from the gear. Multiple cycles of the gear handle proved to be unsuccessful. The decision was made to veer towards the center median adjacent to runway 18/36.
Aircraft’s point of impact was the immediate southern edge of runway 6/27 and traveled across the runway into the median approximately 2970 feet to its final resting place. There was no debris at the scene. All four propeller blades, two per engine, were bent backwards at the tips.
Inspectors returned to the aircraft, after it was removed from the field and secured in a hanger, for initial inspection.
- Fuel samples:
- Both main tanks showed clean and clear fuel.
- Left auxiliary - 4 oz of fluid drawn – 1 oz was water.
- Right auxiliary – 6 oz of fluid drawn – 2 oz was water.
- Left engine oil looked to be dark, old and thick.
- Right engine oil was fresh and clear.
- Right engine had 4 loose adel clamps hanging from spark plug wires, severed vent tube, and loose bolts at the lower cowling.
- Flight controls: showed continuity.
- Cables in the aft fuselage were dry and “crusty” and elevator cable seemed to have slight drag.
- Landing gear operational checks could not be performed due to lack of aircraft jacks.
Aircraft engine, propeller and maintenance logbooks were reviewed. Annual inspections were recently conducted and signed off the morning of the incident. Documentation from the mechanic stated that the aircraft had been inspected in accordance with Piper criteria with the following task noted: removed all panels, lubed all cables, replaced landing gear cables, replaced brake lines & brake hoses. ELT test good. And stated that this airframe has been inspected and found to be in an airworthy condition.
- There is no documentation of landing gear or brakes being operationally checked after replacement of parts.
- Control cables in the aft fuselage routing to the rudder and elevator showed no evidence of having been recently lubed.
- There was no documentation of airworthiness directives verification.
The last documented annual inspection was dated may 22, 2005.
As the FAA filed it
DRA: HELENA/WEST HELENA, AR (HEE): ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PA30, PILOT REPORTED POSSIBLE RIGHT ENGINE FAILURE AND UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. ACFT LANDED GEAR UP ON GRASS STRIP ADJACENT TO RWY 18/36. POB: 1, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: MINOR. 05/11/2024 1800Z
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED CLARK COUNTY AIRPORT, MS (23M) AROUND 1100 FOR PERSONAL FLIGHT TO DELIVER AIRCRAFT TO HOME LOCATION, MT HOME, AR. ONLY 1 PILOT ON BOARD, 60 YEARS OLD MALE. AIRCRAFT DIVERTED INTO HELENA-WEST HELENA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KHEE) DUE TO UNKNOWN ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS. ON FINAL APPROACH LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND NORMALLY AND THE AIRCRAFT BELLY INTO THE MEDIAN. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
IIC NOTIFIED ON 05/11/2024 AROUND 1700 AND INSPECTORS FROM THIS FSDO ARRIVED ON SCENE AROUND 1030 ON 05/13/2024.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, AND HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT INDICATED THAT ALL PHASES OF FLIGHT LEADING UP TO INCIDENT WERE NORMAL & UNEVENTFUL. ISSUES STARTED WHEN THE FUEL TANKS WERE SWAPPED FROM MAIN TO AUXILIARY TANKS AND ENGINES BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE FIRST AVAILABLE AIRFIELD WAS HELENA-WEST HELENA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KHEE). RUNNING LANDING CHECKLIST, THE GEAR HANDLE WAS PLACED IN THE DOWN POSITION AND THERE WAS NO REACTION FROM THE GEAR. MULTIPLE CYCLES OF THE GEAR HANDLE PROVED TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO VEER TOWARDS THE CENTER MEDIAN ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18/36.
AIRCRAFT’S POINT OF IMPACT WAS THE IMMEDIATE SOUTHERN EDGE OF RUNWAY 6/27 AND TRAVELED ACROSS THE RUNWAY INTO THE MEDIAN APPROXIMATELY 2970 FEET TO ITS FINAL RESTING PLACE. THERE WAS NO DEBRIS AT THE SCENE. ALL FOUR PROPELLER BLADES, TWO PER ENGINE, WERE BENT BACKWARDS AT THE TIPS.
INSPECTORS RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER IT WAS REMOVED FROM THE FIELD AND SECURED IN A HANGER, FOR INITIAL INSPECTION.
- FUEL SAMPLES:
- BOTH MAIN TANKS SHOWED CLEAN AND CLEAR FUEL.
- LEFT AUXILIARY - 4 OZ OF FLUID DRAWN – 1 OZ WAS WATER.
- RIGHT AUXILIARY – 6 OZ OF FLUID DRAWN – 2 OZ WAS WATER.
- LEFT ENGINE OIL LOOKED TO BE DARK, OLD AND THICK.
- RIGHT ENGINE OIL WAS FRESH AND CLEAR.
- RIGHT ENGINE HAD 4 LOOSE ADEL CLAMPS HANGING FROM SPARK PLUG WIRES, SEVERED VENT TUBE, AND LOOSE BOLTS AT THE LOWER COWLING.
- FLIGHT CONTROLS: SHOWED CONTINUITY.
- CABLES IN THE AFT FUSELAGE WERE DRY AND “CRUSTY” AND ELEVATOR CABLE SEEMED TO HAVE SLIGHT DRAG.
- LANDING GEAR OPERATIONAL CHECKS COULD NOT BE PERFORMED DUE TO LACK OF AIRCRAFT JACKS.
AIRCRAFT ENGINE, PROPELLER AND MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS WERE REVIEWED. ANNUAL INSPECTIONS WERE RECENTLY CONDUCTED AND SIGNED OFF THE MORNING OF THE INCIDENT. DOCUMENTATION FROM THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH PIPER CRITERIA WITH THE FOLLOWING TASK NOTED: REMOVED ALL PANELS, LUBED ALL CABLES, REPLACED LANDING GEAR CABLES, REPLACED BRAKE LINES & BRAKE HOSES. ELT TEST GOOD. AND STATED THAT THIS AIRFRAME HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION.
- THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION OF LANDING GEAR OR BRAKES BEING OPERATIONALLY CHECKED AFTER REPLACEMENT OF PARTS.
- CONTROL CABLES IN THE AFT FUSELAGE ROUTING TO THE RUDDER AND ELEVATOR SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN RECENTLY LUBED.
- THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES VERIFICATION.
THE LAST DOCUMENTED ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DATED MAY 22, 2005.
Other reports on N7394Y · 1
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