# NTSB SEA08LA025: Piper PA-31-350, N84859, Salt Lake City, UT, November 12, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 12, 2007, 08:50 local (15:50 UTC) - Place: Salt Lake City, UT - Coordinates: 40.788333, -111.9775 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.7883&lon=-111.9775&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 10, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 67088 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA08LA025 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/67088/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA025 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use a written checklist. ## Analysis The pilot was initially inbound for a straight-in landing, but was switched by the tower to a different runway. The pilot, who performed his pre-landing configuration actions from memory, failed to put the landing gear down, and landed with the landing gear still retracted. The pilot indicated that although he thought he had seen the illumination of the green landing gear position indicator lights while on short final, he had instead seen the reflection of the rays from the rising sun. ## Factual narrative On November 12, 2007, about 0850 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-31-350, N84859, landed gear-up at the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured, however the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Spirit Air Inc. and operated by Salmon Air Taxi of Salmon, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 repositioning flight. The flight originated from Carbon County Regional Airport (PUC), Price, Utah, at 0815. According to the pilot, he was initially inbound for a straight-in landing on runway 32, but the tower switched him to runway 35 after he had completed his pre-landing configuration items from memory. While on short final to runway 35, the pilot made a memory-based final configuration check, and it appeared to him that the landing gear position indicator lights were green. Soon thereafter he touched down on runway 35 with the landing gear still retracted in the wheel wells. Due to the fact that the gear was retracted, the airplane slid along the surface of the asphalt runway, resulting in substantial damage to the formers and stringers that make up the structure of the airplane's belly. During a telephone conversation, the pilot stated that during approach he felt rushed, and was communicating with the controller and watching other inbound traffic during the time period that he thought he had set the flaps, lowered the landing gear, and set the propellers. He further stated that he was not using a written checklist, but was taking the actions from memory. He said that he now realizes that what he thought were illuminated green landing gear position lights, was in fact a reflection of the rays from the rising sun. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Wheels up landing, landing - flare/touchdown - gear extension - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - checklist - not used, pilot in command (contributing factor) - terrain condition - runway ## Aircraft - Registration: [N84859](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N84859-2012-03-23), registration cancelled 2012-03-23, S/N 31-7305043 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31-350 - Registry model: [Piper PA-31-350](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (registry code 7103110) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 31-7305043 - Airframe hours: 14396 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-J2BD 350 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Salmon Air Taxi - Registered owner: Spirit Air - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, August 1, 2007 - Departed: PUC, Price, UT - Destination: KSLC, Salt Lake City, UT - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: KSLC, Salt Lake City, runway 35, 9,596 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 1,750 total, 518 in this make and model, 1,696 as pilot in command, 114 in the last 90 days, 20 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 37 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.35 inHg - Observed at: SLC, 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 20071112826479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071112826479A), Nov 12, 2007: Piper PA31350, Salt Lake City, UT, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot was repositioning the company aircraft from price to Salt Lake City, Utah under part 91. On approach to landing on runway 35 he performed his… ## Other investigations on N84859 (1) 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. - [NTSB ERA10WA489](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10WA489), Sep 19, 2010: Piper PA-31-350 (N84859), South Bimini, Bahamas, substantial damage 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.