# NTSB ANC01LA145: Piper PA-32R-300, N4352F, Tanana, AK, September 22, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 21, 2001, 17:30 local (Sep 22, 2001, 01:30 UTC) - Place: Tanana, AK - Coordinates: 65.179443, -152.098892 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=65.1794&lon=-152.0989&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 26, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 54910 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC01LA145 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54910/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC01LA145 ## Probable cause An unlocked landing gear mechanism during landing roll. A factor associated with the accident was an electrical system failure. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Gear collapsed, landing - roll - electrical system - failure (contributing factor) - landing gear,gear locking mechanism - unlocked (cause) ## Analysis The certificated commerical pilot was about 26 miles from his destination airport when be began to note telltale signs of an electrical failure. The airplane's instrument panel-mounted ammeter indicated zero, and the pilot shut off all of the airplane's electrical equipment. When he arrived at the destination airport, he placed the landing gear extension handle in the down position, but the gear failed to extend, and the gear down lights did not illuminate. The pilot followed the flight manual procedures for an emergency gear extension by slowing the airplane to 87 knots, holding the landing emergency gear lever in the "EMERGENCY DOWN position, while fish-tailing the airplane. In an attempt to determine if the landing gear was down, he checked the airplane's shadow and noted that the gear appeared to be down. During touchdown the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the surface of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the voltage regulator failed, which subsequently led to the loss of electrical power. The accident airplane is equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear, which is hydraulically actuated by an electrically powered reversible pump. Use of the emergency extension handle manually releases hydraulic pressure, allowing the landing gear to free fall, to the down position. In the case of a complete electrical failure, the landing gear down lights will not illuminate. ## Factual narrative On September 21, 2001, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Piper PA-32R-300 airplane, N4352F, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Tanana Airport, Tanana, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand charter flight transporting mail under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was owned by Harold Esmailka, and operated by Tanana Air Service, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company visual flight rules (VFR) flight following procedures were in effect for the flight from Fairbanks to Tanana. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on October 2, the director of operations for the operator reported that while en route to Tanana, the accident pilot's intended destination, all electrical power was lost. He added that the accident pilot elected to proceed to his destination, and during the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed. He said that the left wing struck the surface of the runway, and sustained substantial damage to the left main wing spar, and two nose ribs. The pilot submitted a written report to the NTSB dated October 12, 2001. In his written statement, the pilot reported that when he was about 26 miles from the Tanana Airport, be began to note telltale signs of an electrical failure. He added that the airplane's instrument panel-mounted ammeter indicated zero, so he shut off all of the airplane's electrical equipment. He noted that when he arrived at the destination airport, he placed the landing gear extension handle in the down position, but the gear failed to extend, and the landing gear down lights did not illuminate. He reported that he followed the flight manual procedures for an emergency gear extension by slowing the airplane to 87 knots, holding the landing emergency gear lever in the "EMERGENCY DOWN position, while fish-tailing the airplane. In an attempt to determine if the landing gear was down, he checked the airplane's shadow and noted that the gear appeared to be down. During touchdown the left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the surface of the runway. The Piper PA-32R-300 is equipped with a retractable tricycle landing gear, which is hydraulically actuated by an electrically powered reversible pump. The emergency landing gear extension handle, when used for emergency extension of the landing gear, manually releases hydraulic pressure to permit the gear to free fall with spring assistance on the nose gear. In the case of a complete electrical failure, the landing gear down lights will not illuminate. A Federal Aviation Administration, Airworthiness Inspector, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office, reported that a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the voltage regulator failed, which subsequently led to the loss of electrical power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4352F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4352F), registered now, S/N 32R-7680441, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32R-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32R-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (registry code 7103213) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-7680441 - Airframe hours: 8170.8 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Tanana Air Service, Inc. - Registered owner: Harold Esmailka - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, September 17, 2001, 21.4 hours before - Departed: FAI, Fairbanks, AK - Destination: TAL, Tanana, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: PATA, Tanana, runway 24, 4,400 × 150 ft, gravel ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 25, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,400 total, 286 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010921025089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010921025089A), Sep 21, 2001: Piper PA32R300, Tanana, AK, No damage. (-23) Approximately 26 miles east of Tanana, pilot noted loss of electrical power, which resulted in complete electrical power loss. Pilot elected to make… ## Other investigations on N4352F (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC17LA014](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA014), Nov 21, 2016: Piper PA 32R-300 (N4352F), McGrath, AK, minor damage. Probable cause: The failure of the nose landing gear to extend and lock due to the failure of the alternator and reduced battery power due to the cold ambient temperature, which prohibited the electrically-driven… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.