- Date
- February 22, 2011, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- North Bend, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9237YPiper PA-31P-350
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Portland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110222002269A
- Case key
- 78408
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 lower the landing gear while on approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow a written checklist during the approach portion of the flight.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, while in the process of executing a terminal instrument approach to his home airport, he transitioned from instrument meteorological conditions to visual meteorological conditions. He canceled his instrument flight rules clearance, and transitioned from the terminal instrument approach to a visual flight rules approach pattern. During this sequence of events he did not follow a written checklist, and inadvertently forgot to lower the landing gear. During the landing flare, he heard the noise caused by the wing flaps and both propellers contacting the surface of the runway, and he added power and immediately executed a go-around. He then entered a closed pattern, lowered the landing gear and repositioned the flaps, before making an uneventful landing. He said during the approach he heard the gear warning horn sounding, but he thought it was the altitude alerting system. An inspection of both the runway surface scarring and each propeller blade revealed that the tips of all six blades had been grounded down by repeated contact with the asphalt surface. He also said that the airplane did not have any system malfunctions.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while in the process of executing a terminal instrument approach to his home airport, he transitioned from instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) to visual meteorological conditions (VMC). He therefore canceled his instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance, and transitioned from the terminal instrument approach to a visual flight rules (VFR) approach pattern. During this sequence of events, the pilot, who was not following a written checklist, inadvertently forgot to lower the landing gear. During the landing flare, the pilot heard the noise caused by the wing flaps and both propellers contacting the surface of the runway, and therefore he added power and immediately executed a go-around. The pilot then entered a closed pattern, lowered the landing gear and repositioned the flaps, before making an uneventful landing. According to the pilot, during his approach he heard the gear warning horn sounding, but he thought it was the altitude alerting system. An inspection of both the runway surface scarring and each propeller blade revealed that the tips of all six blades had been ground down by repeated contact with the asphalt surface. The pilot also said that the airplane did not have any system malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9237Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31P-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31P-8414022
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-V2AD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- EAL Leasing, Inc.
- Registered owner
- EAL Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KUAO · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- KOTH · North Bend, OR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KOTH · Southwest Oregon Regional, runway 31, 4,470 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 28, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,850 total · 51 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 11, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 278 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.