20250430006849I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-180 · Spartanburg, SC · April 30, 2025

Date
April 30, 2025 · 18:20 local
Place
Spartanburg, SC
Airport
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3869T
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-180
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
262 total225 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot called in 4 miles out for left down wind. After this call someone called into the radio stating a glider was landing on runway five. The pilot was landing on two seven, which put him looking for this glider. While searching for this glider he was not managing his aircraft, this caused him to forget his landing checklist and not lower his landing gear prior to landing.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT CALLED IN 4 MILES OUT FOR LEFT DOWN WIND. AFTER THIS CALL SOMEONE CALLED INTO THE RADIO STATING A GLIDER WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY FIVE. THE PILOT WAS LANDING ON TWO SEVEN, WHICH PUT HIM LOOKING FOR THIS GLIDER. WHILE SEARCHING FOR THIS GLIDER HE WAS NOT MANAGING HIS AIRCRAFT, THIS CAUSED HIM TO FORGET HIS LANDING CHECKLIST AND NOT LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO LANDING.