What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 12, 2025, after refueling to full tanks at O22, departed for CA35, single pilot, at approximately 16:43 with 90 gallons onboard. During final approach into CA35 runway 22 at approximately 17:12, selected gear down and observed one green light indicating the left main gear was down and locked. Using the onboard gear well camera, visually confirmed that the right main gear remained up.
Approach aborted and spent the next hour troubleshooting the landing gear, including multiple configuration changes and actuating the emergency hand pump. Despite repeated attempts, the right gear could not be deployed. A significant amount of hydraulic fluid was present in the cockpit, including mist in the air, and could hear the pump running dry. Eventually, the left gear became hydraulically stuck in the down position.
Using the gear well cameras and in-flight maneuvers, was able to get the left gear retracted and locked. I returned to CA35 and conducted two low passes before committing to a gear-up landing on my third approach at 18:55. Engine power was pulled and the propeller was feathered. The aircraft made contact with the runway on the exhaust stack and tailwheel, skidding the full length of the runway.
In the final 20 feet before stopping, lost directional control. The aircraft veered left, and the right wingtip struck the levee, shearing off the fiberglass tip and rotating the aircraft roughly 90 degrees before coming to rest. No structural damage occurred on the left wing.
There was no damage to control surfaces, gear doors, or the aircraft belly. There is light scraping on the bottom of both wings, limited to paint removal only. No penetration or damage to the carbon skin layers.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 12, 2025, AFTER REFUELING TO FULL TANKS AT O22, DEPARTED FOR CA35, SINGLE PILOT, AT APPROXIMATELY 16:43 WITH 90 GALLONS ONBOARD. DURING FINAL APPROACH INTO CA35 RUNWAY 22 AT APPROXIMATELY 17:12, SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND OBSERVED ONE GREEN LIGHT INDICATING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. USING THE ONBOARD GEAR WELL CAMERA, VISUALLY CONFIRMED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR REMAINED UP.
APPROACH ABORTED AND SPENT THE NEXT HOUR TROUBLESHOOTING THE LANDING GEAR, INCLUDING MULTIPLE CONFIGURATION CHANGES AND ACTUATING THE EMERGENCY HAND PUMP. DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE RIGHT GEAR COULD NOT BE DEPLOYED. A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HYDRAULIC FLUID WAS PRESENT IN THE COCKPIT, INCLUDING MIST IN THE AIR, AND COULD HEAR THE PUMP RUNNING DRY. EVENTUALLY, THE LEFT GEAR BECAME HYDRAULICALLY STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION.
USING THE GEAR WELL CAMERAS AND IN-FLIGHT MANEUVERS, WAS ABLE TO GET THE LEFT GEAR RETRACTED AND LOCKED. I RETURNED TO CA35 AND CONDUCTED TWO LOW PASSES BEFORE COMMITTING TO A GEAR-UP LANDING ON MY THIRD APPROACH AT 18:55. ENGINE POWER WAS PULLED AND THE PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED. THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY ON THE EXHAUST STACK AND TAILWHEEL, SKIDDING THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY.
IN THE FINAL 20 FEET BEFORE STOPPING, LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED LEFT, AND THE RIGHT WINGTIP STRUCK THE LEVEE, SHEARING OFF THE FIBERGLASS TIP AND ROTATING THE AIRCRAFT ROUGHLY 90 DEGREES BEFORE COMING TO REST. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED ON THE LEFT WING.
THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO CONTROL SURFACES, GEAR DOORS, OR THE AIRCRAFT BELLY. THERE IS LIGHT SCRAPING ON THE BOTTOM OF BOTH WINGS, LIMITED TO PAINT REMOVAL ONLY. NO PENETRATION OR DAMAGE TO THE CARBON SKIN LAYERS.
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