# NTSB ANC06LA093: Piper PA-31, N41185, Fairbanks, AK, July 8, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 8, 2006, 09:40 local (17:40 UTC) - Place: Fairbanks, AK - Coordinates: 64.815277, -147.856384 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.8153&lon=-147.8564&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Fairbanks FSDO-01 - NTSB case key (mKey): 64153 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA093 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64153/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA093 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadvertent landing with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in structural damage to the airplane. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Wheels up landing, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - runway - wheels up landing - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The airline transport certificated pilot was conducting a maintenance test flight related to the airplane's navigation instrumentation under Title 14, CFR Part 91. In a written statement the pilot reported that when he returned from the maintenance flight the tower asked him to expedite the landing due to traffic. He said he put the flaps and gear down, and checked the nose gear in a mirror on the left engine. He indicated that in the mirror, the nose gear appeared to be "extending in a normal manner." He reported that upon touchdown all 3 landing gear collapsed. The director of operations said the airplane was taken to a maintenance facility where landing gear extension and retraction tests were performed, and no anomalies were noted. Photographs provided by the operator showed no damage to the left or right main landing gear tires, wheels, or landing gear leg doors. The photographs do show abrasions and scratches parallel to the fuselage's longitudinal axis on the exterior of both the left and right main landing gear wheel doors, consistent with ground contact in the closed (gear retracted) position. An additional photograph showed abrasions and scratches on the exterior of both nose wheel doors parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. In a written statement the operator suggested that the gear unsafe horn should be wired through the audio panel, so as to be more easily heard by pilots wearing noise attenuating headsets. The airplane received structural damage to the bottom of the fuselage, stringers, and bulkheads. ## Factual narrative On July 8, 2006, about 0940 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-31 airplane, N41185, sustained substantial damage when the landing gear collapsed during landing at the Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by Everts Air Alaska, Fairbanks, as a visual flight rules (VFR) maintenance test flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 10, the director of operations for the operator said the pilot reported to him that he had taken the airplane for a maintenance test flight, which was unrelated to the landing gear. According to the director, the pilot said there was no indication of a problem prior to the landing gear collapsing during the landing roll. The director of operations reported that the airplane received structural damage to the bottom of the fuselage, stringers, and bulkheads. During a telephone conversation with the IIC on July 9, the director of operations said following removal of the airplane from the runway, the airplane was taken to a maintenance facility and placed on jacks. He said maintenance personnel performed landing gear extension and retraction tests on the landing gear. He reported the landing gear extended and retracted appropriately. In a written statement dated July 8, the pilot reported that after completing his maintenance checks and while returning to the airport for landing, he was asked by the tower to expedite his landing due to traffic. He wrote that he put the flaps and gear down in the normal manner, and checked the nose gear in the mirror on the left engine. He indicated that in the mirror, the nose gear appeared to be "extending in a normal manner." Photographs provided by the operator showed no damage to the left or right main landing gear tires, wheels, or landing gear leg doors. The photographs do show abrasions and scratches parallel to the fuselage's longitudinal axis on the exterior of both the left and right main landing gear wheel doors, consistent with ground contact in the closed (gear retracted) position. An additional photograph also showed abrasion and scratches on the exterior of both nose wheel doors parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. In a written statement from the operator dated August 4, the operator suggested the gear unsafe horn should be wired through the audio panel, so as to be more easily heard by pilots wearing noise attenuating headsets. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N41185](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N41185-2010-12-27), registration cancelled 2010-12-27, S/N 31-8553001, built 1984 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-31 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31-8553001 - Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-J 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Other work use, Part 91 - Operator: Everts Air Alaska, doing business as Tatonduk Outfitters Limited - Registered owner: Tatonduk Outfitters Limited - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PAFA, Fairbanks, AK - Airport: PAFA, Fairbanks, runway 19R, 11,800 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; airline transport, flight engineer, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 23,400 total, 350 in this make and model, 18,000 as pilot in command, 26 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 260° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 8,000 ft broken - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg ## 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 20060708013899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060708013899A), Jul 8, 2006: Piper PA31350, Fairbanks, AK, Minor damage. (-23) The pilot failed to verify that the landing gear had extended, which it had not, and consequently landed gear up. [privacy data omitted] ## Other investigations on N41185 (3) 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 ANC09LA021](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC09LA021), Feb 19, 2009: Piper PA-31-350 (N41185), Nome, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's continued flight into adverse weather and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain while on approach in flat light conditions. - [NTSB ANC04LA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA117), Sep 17, 2004: Piper PA-31-350 (N41185), Telida, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A failure of the pilot-in-command to extend the landing gear, which resulted in a gear-up landing and structural damage to the airplane. - [NTSB ANC94LA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA072), Jun 29, 1994: Piper PA-31-350 (N41185), Sheldon Point, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. FACTOR WAS THE INADEQUATE RUNWAY MARKING. 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.