# Incident 20260404004569I: Piper PA-30, St. Simons Isla, GA, April 4, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 4, 2026, 11:40 local time
- Place: St. Simons Isla, GA
- Airport: Mckinnon St. Simons Island Air
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: SAAS
- Location: 31.1505° N, 81.3695° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Saint Simons Island, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1505&lon=-81.3695&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1NT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1NT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,841 total, 19 in this make and model, 37 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260404004569I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 04/04/2026 DURING A CHECK RIDE FOR A MULTI-ENGINE LAND RATING, WITH A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER ON BOARD, THE PIC DID NOT PROPERLY EXECUTE HIS CHECKLIST AND FAILED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR, WHICH RESULTED IN A PROP STRIKE. ACCORDING TO THE PIC, HE FLEW UNDER VMC, BUT SIMULATED AN IFR FLIGHT AND VECTORED IN UNDER FOGGLES.  THE PIC CLAIMS HE STARTED THE CHECKLIST BEFORE DESCENT. THEN PAUSED AT 500-6OO FT. TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED ON THE GLIDESCOPE, WHEN THE DPE CALLED OUT, "BIRDS." AS A RESULT, THE PIC LOST FOCUS AND SAID HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE DPE. THEY BEGAN TO DECELERATE FASTER THAN HE REALIZED; AND AT 200-300 FT. HE REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMING DOWN TOO FAST AND THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN.  AT THAT POINT, HE CALLED FOR A "GO AROUND" AND ADJUSTED BOTH THROTTLES TO THE FULL FORWARD POSITION, BUT THEY WERE STILL "SINKING" AND HAD A DELAY IN THRUST. THE PIC HEARD AN ABNORMAL SCRAPING NOISE, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS.  ON CLIMB OUT, HE ASKED THE DPE WHAT THE NOISE WAS AND THE DPE STATED HE WAS NOT SURE IF IT WAS A PROP STRIKE, OR IF THE TAIL HAD STRUCK THE GROUND BECAUSE THE TAIL WAS SINKING. AFTER THE PROP STRIKE THE THE PIC WAS ABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE/CLIMB OUT AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AND PARK THE AIRCRAFT. HE NOTICED THE DAMAGE TO THE PROPS AFTER HE PERFORMED A POST FLIGHT INSPECTION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR ADDITIONAL DAMAGE REPORTED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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