- Date
- May 2, 1993, 17:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Willimantic, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N81529Piper PA-28RT-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 15, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930502011579A
- Case key
- 11929
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
Failure of the pilot to follow emergency procedures to ensure that the gear was locked. A factor related to the accident was the total electrical failure and the construction site located beside the runway.
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
While in cruise during a cross country flight, the airplane lost total electrical power. The flight was continued to its planned destination. While in the pattern, the landing gear was extended at 95 knots indicated airspeed. During the landing, the left main gear collapsed and the airplane skidded into a construction site. The airplane impacted construction material and the right main gear was torn away from the right wing structure. Post accident examination of the airplane's electrical system revealed that a battery wire leading to the alternator had failed near the alternator. The landing gear was tested with no anomalies noted. The pilot operating handbook stated that the emergency gear lever must be held in the downward position for emergency extension. The pilot operating handbook also stated that an airspeed of 87 knots should be attained before trying to extend the gear during an emergency extension.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81529
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201 (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-8018036
- Airframe hours
- 3,485
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Windham Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Windham Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 1993 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- ACK · Nantucket, MA
- Destination
- IJD
- Airport
- IJD · Windham Airport, runway 18, 2,797 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 237 total · 22 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.