- Date
- November 10, 1986, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- South Bend, IN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N578PAPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861110054579A
- Case key
- 13689
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
During cruise at 7000' MSL, the plt assumed that he was having an electrical failure because he had not heard any ARTCC transmissions, fuel gauges were indicating low fuel, ammeter reading was zero, and landing gear would not cycle. He shut off all electrical equipment except comm and proceeded to South Bend airport. While preparing to land he checked the position of the override lever for the automatic extension of the landing gear, but did not try to raise and then lower the lever as suggested under emergency procedures in the acft manual. Plt also stated he did not try to yaw the acft which is also recommended in acft manual for emergency gear extension. Although the plt did try to verify electrical failure by turning on the pitot heat, he did not follow the procedure to switch off the alternator for one second and then back on to see if the ammeter continued to indicate no output. Acft landed gear up resulting in substantial damage to acft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N578PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R7535241
- Airframe hours
- 2,542
- Engine
- Lycoming I0360-CIC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Arrow Flight Club, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Arrow Flight Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 5, 1986
- Departed
- AUM · Austin, MN
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SBN · Michiana Regional, runway 9, 7,099 × 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 391 total · 333 in this make and model · 347 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.