What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 20th, 2024 at approximately 1330 local time a Piper PA30 aircraft, operated by a private pilot and flight instructor during a familiarization flight received minor damage upon landing in the grass next to runway 25 at Coldwater, Branch co mem (oeb) in a gear up configuration due to being unable to get the gear to come down. 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 flight instructor and private pilot received no injuries.
The flight instructor stated that he was conducting a familiarization flight with the private pilot and they departed from Coldwater, Branch co mem (oeb) and upon return to the same airport, the gear would only come 2/3RDS of the way down during several normal and emergency attempts. They called and talked with the mechanic and were still unable to get the gear fully down. The decision was made to leave the gear up and land in the grass alongside runway 25.
Post incident examination of the aircraft revealed that both propellers on both engines have their tips bent back due to propeller strikes, belly antenna sheared off, skins with paint scrapped off and a belly vent crumpled. The aircraft was lifted and the gear was cycled to the down position and got stuck 2/3RDS of the way down and went full down and locked after pulling on the gear.
Weather data: koeb 201735Z auto 1800KT 10SM clr 27/15 A2986 rmk AO2
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 LOCAL TIME A PIPER PA30 AIRCRAFT, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR DURING A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE UPON LANDING IN THE GRASS NEXT TO RUNWAY 25 AT COLDWATER, BRANCH CO MEM (OEB) IN A GEAR UP CONFIGURATION DUE TO BEING UNABLE TO GET THE GEAR TO COME DOWN. 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 FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE WAS CONDUCTING A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THEY DEPARTED FROM COLDWATER, BRANCH CO MEM (OEB) AND UPON RETURN TO THE SAME AIRPORT, THE GEAR WOULD ONLY COME 2/3RDS OF THE WAY DOWN DURING SEVERAL NORMAL AND EMERGENCY ATTEMPTS. THEY CALLED AND TALKED WITH THE MECHANIC AND WERE STILL UNABLE TO GET THE GEAR FULLY DOWN. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LEAVE THE GEAR UP AND LAND IN THE GRASS ALONGSIDE RUNWAY 25.
POST INCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT BOTH PROPELLERS ON BOTH ENGINES HAVE THEIR TIPS BENT BACK DUE TO PROPELLER STRIKES, BELLY ANTENNA SHEARED OFF, SKINS WITH PAINT SCRAPPED OFF AND A BELLY VENT CRUMPLED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED AND THE GEAR WAS CYCLED TO THE DOWN POSITION AND GOT STUCK 2/3RDS OF THE WAY DOWN AND WENT FULL DOWN AND LOCKED AFTER PULLING ON THE GEAR.
WEATHER DATA: KOEB 201735Z AUTO 1800KT 10SM CLR 27/15 A2986 RMK AO2