- Date
- December 26, 1986, 09:06 local (14:06 UTC)
- Place
- Key West, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2197XPiper PA-44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861226072399I
- Case key
- 31842
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
Shortly after takeoff on an IFR flt, the flt lost all electrical power while in VFR conditions. The flt returned to the arpt and the plt completed the pre-landing checklist placing the gear handle in the down position. The gear, being electrically operated, did not extend and the acft landed gear up. The plt stated that at the last moment during the flare, he remembered the gear was electrically driven and attempted to extend it by the emergency method, but was unable to do so in time. An exam of the battery revealed that it was in a discharged condition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2197X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-7995277
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-E1A6D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon B. Champagne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 1986
- Departed
- EYW · Key West, FL
- Destination
- SRQ · Sarasota, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- EYW · Key West International, runway 9, 4,800 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,423 total · 749 in this make and model · 1,328 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EYW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.