- Date
- July 4, 1997, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N974DCPiper PA-31T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970704020119A
- Case key
- 20270
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 relating to the accident was: the pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist.
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
After an uneventful 1.5 hour on-demand air taxi flight, the pilot made a wheels up landing. He reported that during the flare, he realized that the gear was not extended. He attempted to execute a 'go-around', but was too late as the right propeller contacted the runway surface. Subsequently, the left propeller contacted the runway, and the aircraft 'skipped down the runway', went through grass, and impacted a hangar.
Factual narrative
On July 4, 1997, approximately 0830 central daylight time, a Piper PA-31T airplane, N974DC, owned by Ocaas L.L.C., of Amarillo, Texas, and operated by O'Hara Flying Service, of Amarillo, Texas, was substantially damaged following a wheels up landing at Austin Airpark, Austin, Texas. Both occupants, the airline transport rated pilot and passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. The flight originated from Amarillo, Texas, at 0700.
The pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge, via NTSB Form 6120.1/2, that the purpose of the flight was to transport a passenger to Austin and return to Amarillo. The revenue passenger told the pilot that he was not sure as to which airport near Austin he was supposed to land at, and that he thought it was "Austin Executive Airport." With that information, the pilot flew the aircraft to, and landed at Austin Executive without incident. After landing, the passenger told the pilot that it was the wrong airport. The pilot then took off again and was vectored to Austin Airpark. The short flight to the Airpark was flown in VMC conditions at 1,000 feet AGL.
The pilot stated that during the final landing flare, he had "forgotten" to lower the landing gear. He then attempted to execute a "go-around", but was too late as the right propeller contacted the runway surface. Subsequently, the left propeller contacted the runway, and the aircraft "skipped down the runway", went through the grass, and impacted a hangar. The impact with the hangar resulted in the right wing being destroyed and the left wing sustaining structural damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N974DC
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0027
- Airframe hours
- 3,840
- Engine
- P&W PT-6A-28, 630 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Ocaas L.L.C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 9, 1997 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- AMA · Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- AUS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 88R · Austin Airpark, runway 18, 3,000 × 40 ft, concrete
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 125 in this make and model · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.