# NTSB DEN06LA041: Piper PA-30, N7743Y, Greeley, CO, February 17, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 17, 2006, 14:10 local (21:10 UTC) - Place: Greeley, CO - Coordinates: 40.4375, -104.633056 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4375&lon=-104.6331&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 29, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 63258 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN06LA041 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63258/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN06LA041 ## Probable cause the pilot's flight into adverse weather conditions, the airframe ice, and the wheels up landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the icing conditions, the frozen landing gear, the frozen alternate gear extension system, and the runway sign. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, approach - flight into adverse weather - performed, pilot in command (cause) - airframe - ice (cause) - landing gear - frozen (contributing factor) - remedial action - attempted, pilot in command - landing gear,emergency extension assembly - frozen (contributing factor) - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor) - Wheels up landing, emergency landing - wheels up landing - performed, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - object - airport sign/marker (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 34 (10,000 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt) and was instructed to change radio frequency to the airport UNICOM. The pilot performed a missed approach, contacted approach control and informed them that he was executing a missed approach for a "no gear indication." The airplane subsequently circled over the airport in an attempt to get the landing gear to come down. Finally, the pilot performed a wheels up landing. During the landing, the airplane's right wing struck a runway sign. The pilot said that about half way to their destination, they heard something vibrate. After 5 minutes the vibration stopped. The pilot said the vibration occurred again later. On the ILS approach, the pilot said the wheels failed to come down. "I advised approach control and said I intended to circle the field and extend the landing gear manually." The pilot said he "was not successful lowering the wheels. They wouldn't budge." The pilot said that airport personnel requested he continue to circle until emergency equipment was in place. "I did, and continued trying to lower the wheels. When the airport people were ready, we landed with the wheels up." The pilot said the temperature en route was "about minus 5 [degrees]." Responders to the airplane reported that it was covered with ice that measured approximately 3/4 inch thick. An examination of the airplane's systems showed no anomalies. The weather at the airport was reported as ceilings 400 broken, 5,500 broken, 7,500 overcast, 1-1/2 mile visibility, temperature 2 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point -2 degrees F, winds 040 at 16 knots, and altimeter 30.32 inches. ## Factual narrative On February 17, 2006, approximately 1410 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-30, N7743Y, piloted by an airline transport pilot, sustained substantial damage during a wheels up landing at the Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY), Greeley, Colorado. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross-country flight from Sioux City, Iowa (SUX), to GXY was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The passenger on board the airplane was not injured. The flight originated at 1110 central standard time The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 34 (10,000 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt) and instructed to contact Greeley UNICOM. The pilot performed a missed approach, contacted Denver Approach Control and informed them that he went missed approach for a "no gear indication." The airplane subsequently circled over the airport in an attempt to get the landing gear to come down. Finally, the pilot performed a wheels up landing on runway 34. During the landing, the airplane's right wing struck a runway sign. The pilot said that about half way to GXY, they heard something vibrate. After 5 minutes the vibration stopped. The pilot said the vibration occurred again later. On the ILS approach into GXY, the pilot said the wheels failed to come down. "I advised approach control and said I intended to circle the field and extend the landing gear manually." The pilot said he "was not successful lowering the wheels. They wouldn't budge." The pilot said that Greeley personnel requested he continue to circle until emergency equipment was in place. "I did, and continued trying to lower the wheels. When the airport people were ready, we landed with the wheels up." The pilot said the temperature en route was "about minus 5 [degrees]." An examination of the airplane showed that it sustained skin scrapes to the nose gear doors and the bottom fuselage. Both propellers' blades were curled and showed chordwise scratches. The right outboard wing bottom skin showed a triangular-shaped tear, located approximately 3 feet outboard of the right engine nacelle. The tear was approximately 1-foot long, chordwise, and 4-5 inches wide. It began just below the leading edge and ran aft. Several stringers were broken and bent aft in the area of the tear. Flight control continuity was confirmed. A post-accident examination of the landing gear system showed no anomalies. A witness that assisted in recovering the airplane following the accident reported that the airframe was covered with ice that measured approximately 3/4 inch thick. At 1355, the weather at GXY was reported as ceilings 400 broken, 5,500 broken, 7,500 overcast, 1-1/2 mile visibility, temperature 2 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point -2 degrees F, winds 040 at 16 knots, and altimeter 30.32 inches. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7743Y](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7743Y), registered now, S/N 30-833, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-30 - Registry model: [Piper PA-30](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (registry code 7103002) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (registry code 41509, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 30-833 - Airframe hours: 4887 - Engines: Lycoming IO-320-B1A 160 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-320-B1A 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Walton Evert Bedinger, Jr. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 1, 2005 - Departed: SUX, Sioux City, IA - Destination: GXY, Greeley, CO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: GXY, Greeley-Weld County, runway 34, 10,000 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 86; injuries: minor; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 3,347 total, 2,257 in this make and model, 3,030 as pilot in command, 19 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 16 knots - Visibility: 1.5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 400 ft broken - Temperature: 1 °F, dew point -2 °F - Altimeter: 30.31 inHg - Observed at: GXY, 1 nm away ## 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 20060217002689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060217002689A), Feb 17, 2006: Piper PA30, Greeley, CO, Substantial damage. (-23) N7743Y, made a gear up landing at gxy after a missed approach for a "no gear indication". The landing gear would not extend during the two attempts to… 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.