20240928017869I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Page, AZ · September 28, 2024

Date
September 28, 2024 · 11:14 local
Place
Page, AZ
Airport
Page Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N40193
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
277 total

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.

The FAA was not at the scene of the accident. The pilot stated, "approach and typical landing with intention for full stop. Felt airplane touch down and roll for a period of time, I’d estimate about 600’. Hard pull to the left, not sure why. Maintained left right control using rudder pedals, noted nose dip and prop strike runway, heard scraping and airplane came to a stop. Exited airplane to find gear collapsed and airplane on the front of its belly. Re-entered airplane and turned off main as well as mags. Noted rubber skid mark on runway leading to direction of airplane (later revisited and noted rubber transition to what looked like metal scraping). Called FSDO, insurance, and equipment rental shop to move airplane. EMS arrived shared no injuries, they suggested shutting down fuel selector and I did so. Moved airplane using telescoping forklift, tow straps, and a trailer to the non-movement area to re-open runway." Additionally, the pilot mentioned, "there is only a single light on this aircraft to indicate gear status (wired in series through 3 microswitches) and it indicated green."

The pilot provided photographs of the scene. Total of nine photographs were taken showing the aircraft with the aircraft's belly on the ground, nose landing gear collasped, both main landing gears in retract position, bent propeller, and with no damage to the left or right wings.

The actual cause of the nose landing gear to collasped is unknown. The FAA considers this matter closed.

This report may be amended if additional facts regarding this event are discovered.

As the FAA filed it

THE FAA WAS NOT AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED, "APPROACH AND TYPICAL LANDING WITH INTENTION FOR FULL STOP. FELT AIRPLANE TOUCH DOWN AND ROLL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, I’D ESTIMATE ABOUT 600’. HARD PULL TO THE LEFT, NOT SURE WHY. MAINTAINED LEFT RIGHT CONTROL USING RUDDER PEDALS, NOTED NOSE DIP AND PROP STRIKE RUNWAY, HEARD SCRAPING AND AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. EXITED AIRPLANE TO FIND GEAR COLLAPSED AND AIRPLANE ON THE FRONT OF ITS BELLY. RE-ENTERED AIRPLANE AND TURNED OFF MAIN AS WELL AS MAGS. NOTED RUBBER SKID MARK ON RUNWAY LEADING TO DIRECTION OF AIRPLANE (LATER REVISITED AND NOTED RUBBER TRANSITION TO WHAT LOOKED LIKE METAL SCRAPING). CALLED FSDO, INSURANCE, AND EQUIPMENT RENTAL SHOP TO MOVE AIRPLANE. EMS ARRIVED SHARED NO INJURIES, THEY SUGGESTED SHUTTING DOWN FUEL SELECTOR AND I DID SO. MOVED AIRPLANE USING TELESCOPING FORKLIFT, TOW STRAPS, AND A TRAILER TO THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA TO RE-OPEN RUNWAY." ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT MENTIONED, "THERE IS ONLY A SINGLE LIGHT ON THIS AIRCRAFT TO INDICATE GEAR STATUS (WIRED IN SERIES THROUGH 3 MICROSWITCHES) AND IT INDICATED GREEN."

THE PILOT PROVIDED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SCENE. TOTAL OF NINE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN SHOWING THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE AIRCRAFT'S BELLY ON THE GROUND, NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLASPED, BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS IN RETRACT POSITION, BENT PROPELLER, AND WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WINGS.

THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO COLLASPED IS UNKNOWN. THE FAA CONSIDERS THIS MATTER CLOSED.

THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED IF ADDITIONAL FACTS REGARDING THIS EVENT ARE DISCOVERED.