- Date
- December 17, 1982, 16:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Cut Bank, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- CGKBJPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 70389
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
The aircraft experienced a total electrical failure while enroute. On arrival, the pilot selected gear down, however it would not lower. He misidentified the operation of the emergency gear down switch and pushed it up instead of down. The pilot stated that he made the approach with high power and one notch of flaps. This would have precluded the aircraft's automatic gear extension system from functioning. The aircraft landed gear up with substantial damage and no injuries to the occupants. During an investigation, an alternator out wire was found broken where it connected to a terminal lug.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CGKBJ
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R35640
- Airframe hours
- 1,744
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Donald W. Mclean
- Registered owner
- Donald W. Mclean
- Departed
- JR4 · Eston, Saskatch
- Destination
- 4SD · Reno, NV
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CTB · Cut Bank Municipal, runway 22, 5,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 430 total · 120 in this make and model · 430 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 99 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CTB