- Date
- April 25, 1997, 16:15 local (Apr 26, 1997, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Selawik, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N59985Piper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970425026969A
- Case key
- 3002
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. A factor associated with the accident was the pilot's diverted attention while in the landing pattern.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was in the airport traffic pattern preparing for a full stop landing. While accomplishing his prelanding check list, his attention was diverted by a departing airplane. When he reduced engine power just prior to touchdown, he heard the gear warning horn sound, but was unable to react in time to prevent a wheels up landing.
Factual narrative
On April 25, 1997, about 1615 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Piper PA-31-350 airplane, N59985, operated by Yute Air as Flight 905, sustained substantial damage during a gear up landing at the Selawik Airport, Selawik, Alaska. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 135 scheduled commuter flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. A company visual flight rules flight plan was in effect.
The pilot reported to the NTSB he transmitted his position on a common traffic advisory frequency as he entered a left downwind for runway 3 at the Selawik airstrip. The pilot wrote: "As the pilot was reaching for the landing gear lever, another aircraft on the ground called requesting the position of the incoming aircraft. The pilot responded to the caller and completed the check list. The aircraft continued the approach and landed on runway 3 with the landing gear in the up position." The pilot also noted in his report to the NTSB that there was no prelanding mechanical difficulties or malfunction with the airplane.
According to the Director of Operations for Yute Air, the pilot told him he forgot to put the landing gear down, and that the gear warning horn activated just as he reduced power and the airplane settled onto the gravel runway.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage belly bulkheads.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59985
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7552077
- Airframe hours
- 9,948
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Yute Air, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 18, 1997 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- IAN · Kiana, AK
- Destination
- WLK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- WLK · Selawik, runway 3, 3,000 × 60 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,820 total · 456 in this make and model · 3,381 as pilot in command · 164 in the last 90 days · 83 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N59985 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.