WPR12CA310

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-46 · Delano, CA · July 17, 2012

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 17, 2012, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC)
Place
Delano, CA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N558RWPiper PA-46
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 26, 2012
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Western Pacific Region
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20120717016629A
Case key
84365

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before touchdown. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to perform the appropriate checklist due to distractions posed by another airplane inbound to the same airport and a cluttered radio frequency.

Findings · 5

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.

Use of equip/info: use of equip/systemPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA46-500TP: 3 casesAll aircraft: 1,391 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: use of checklistPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA46-500TP: 1 caseAll aircraft: 336 casesProbable cause
Communication systemEnvironmental issues › Operating environment · Effect on personnelPiper PA46-500TP: 1 caseAll aircraft: 5 casesProbable cause
Attention/monitoring: attentionPersonnel issues › Psychological · PilotPiper PA46-500TP: 3 casesAll aircraft: 226 casesProbable cause

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

The owner-pilot was the only person on board and was flying the turboprop airplane on a personal business trip. When he was about 10 miles south-southeast of the non-towered destination airport, he heard the pilot of a twin-engine airplane report that he was approaching the same airport from the north. The wind favored a landing on runway 32, and the turboprop pilot planned to fly a straight-in approach for landing on that runway. When the turboprop pilot was on final approach for runway 32 about 5 miles from the airport, he heard the twin-engine pilot announce that he was on the left base leg of the traffic pattern for runway 14. As the turboprop pilot continued the approach about 2 miles from the airport, he observed the twin-engine airplane on his traffic display; at that time, the twin-engine airplane was still about 6 miles from the airport. Constant radio transmissions from aircraft at two other non-towered airports in the vicinity precluded the turboprop pilot from communicating clearly with the twin-engine pilot to coordinate their arrivals. Based on the information from his traffic display, the turboprop pilot continued his straight-in approach for runway 32. Due to the distractions of the twin-engine airplane and the radio communication difficulties, the turboprop pilot did not perform the approach checklist and forgot to extend the landing gear, which he did not realize until touchdown. The airplane came to rest upright and intact about 50 feet off the side of the runway. The pilot was uninjured. Examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that he had traveled internationally in the preceding weeks and that he experienced some "mental fatigue." It was not determined whether or when the twin-engine airplane landed at the same airport.

Factual narrative

The owner was the only person on board, and was using the turboprop airplane for a personal business trip. When he was about 10 miles south-southeast of the non-towered destination airport, he heard the pilot of a twin-engine airplane report that he was approaching the same airport from the north. The winds favored a landing on runway 32, and the turboprop pilot planned to fly a straight-in approach for landing on that runway. When the turboprop pilot was on about a 5-mile final for runway 32, he heard the twin pilot announce that he was on a left base leg for runway 14. When the turboprop pilot was on about a 2-mile final for runway 32, he observed the twin on his traffic display; at that time the twin was still about 6 miles out from the airport. Constant radio transmissions from aircraft at two other non-towered airports in the vicinity precluded the turboprop pilot from communicating clearly with the twin pilot, in order to coordinate their arrivals. However, based on the information from his traffic display, the turboprop pilot continued his straight-in approach for runway 32. Due to the distractions of the other airplane and the radio communication difficulties, the turboprop pilot forgot to extend the landing gear, which he did not realize until touchdown. The airplane came to rest upright and intact, about 50 feet off the side of the runway. The pilot was uninjured. Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The pilot reported that he had traveled internationally at least twice in the preceding weeks, and that he experienced some "mental fatigue." It was not determined whether or when the twin landed at that same airport.

Aircraft

Registration
N558RW
Reported as
Piper PA-46 (500TP)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
4697346
Airframe hours
875
Engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 15, 2012 · 22 hours before
Departed
TRM · Thermal, CA
Destination
DLO · Delano, CA
Airport
DLO · Delano Municipal, runway 32, 5,659 × 75 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
54
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Unknown
Last flight review
February 18, 2012
Seat
Left
Flight hours
2,646 total · 788 in this make and model · 33 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
300° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
29.97 inHg
Observed at
PTV, 18 nm away

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 MB 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.