Incident Piper PA-32RT-300T VH-KEF,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 211269
 
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Date:Sunday 6 September 1998
Time:11:23
Type:Silhouette image of generic P32T model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-32RT-300T
Owner/operator:
Registration: VH-KEF
MSN: 32R-7887055
Year of manufacture:1978
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants:
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location:Broken Hill Airport (YBHI), Broken Hill, NSW -   Australia
Phase: Landing
Nature:Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi
Departure airport:YBDV
Destination airport:YBHI
Investigating agency: BASI
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot reported that the alternator failed while the aircraft was between Birdsville and Broken Hill. The pilot reduced the aircraft's electrical load to preserve battery power. On arrival at Broken Hill the battery was flat, and the pilot was unable to lower the landing gear either by normal or emergency methods. After emergency services were in position the aircraft was landed with the landing gear retracted. When the aircraft was raised by engineers the landing gear was able to be extended normally. The investigation disclosed that the alternator body securing bolts had loosened thereby allowing the rotor to contact the windings, shorting out the electrical supply. The battery had depleted prior to arrival at Broken Hill; therefore the electrically powered hydraulic pump that normally retracts and extends the landing gear was rendered inoperative. No fault was found with the landing gear system. Upon reflection the pilot advised that he most probably did not hold the emergency gear extend lever down long enough to bleed off the hydraulic pressure and allow the landing gear to extend. The pilots operating handbook advises that under normal conditions the lever should be held down for approximately 10 seconds. However, industry experience is that it can take up to 20 seconds. The pilot advised that during his endorsement training on this aircraft he was taken through the emergency extend procedures but did not activate the system. He therefore did not have an appreciation of either the effort or the length of time the handle was required to be held down.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: BASI
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/1998/aair/199803764/
https://www.atsb.gov.au/media/4930508/199803764.pdf

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-May-2018 07:41 Pineapple Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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