ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 26444
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| Date: | Saturday 2 April 2011 |
| Time: | 21:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain |
| Owner/operator: | Southern Aviation GA LLC |
| Registration: | N678BY |
| MSN: | 31-7952202 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TI0-540-J2BD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | JAGS McCartney International Airport, Grand Turk -
 Turks and Caicos Islands
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Fort Lauderdale Executive (FXE/KFXE) |
| JAGS McCartney International Airport, Grand Turk (GDT/MBGT) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The aircraft departed Ft Lauderdale Executive Airport, Florida, at 18:00 hours on a private flight to Providenciales Airport in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The pilot was accompanied by five passengers, and the fuel endurance of the aircraft at departure was calculated by the pilot to be 4 hours and 30 minutes.
The flight proceeded uneventfully until the aircraft was 5 nautical miles from Providenciales Airport, on final approach for Runway 10, when the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear. No green DOWN LOCKED lights were observed and the red NOT LOCKED light remained illuminated, indicating that the landing gear had failed to extend fully.
The pilot continued the approach and made a low pass along the runway to permit visual examination of the landing gear by the ATC tower controller, who confirmed that the landing gear was partially extended. The pilot then entered a holding pattern to the south of Providenciales Airport for 15 minutes, whilst attempting to lower the landing gear using the manual extension handle. This attempt was also unsuccessful.
ATC then cleared the aircraft for a visual approach for Runway 10, but when the aircraft was 2 nautical miles from touchdown, ATC instructed the pilot to execute a missed approach and divert to JAGS McCartney International Airport. JAGS McCartney International Airport is on the island of Grand Turk and is 66 nautical miles from Providenciales Airport.
On arrival at JAGS McCartney International Airport, the pilot made a low pass along Runway 11 to permit another visual examination by the ATC tower controller, who confirmed that the landing gear remained partially extended. The weather at Grand Turk was described by the pilot as being good, with scattered clouds at 1,500 feet. The pilot briefed the passengers to prepare them for a gear-up landing.
Immediately prior to touchdown, the pilot positioned the fuel selector valves to OFF and closed the throttles. The aircraft landed on Runway 11, touching down on the left main landing gear leg and, shortly thereafter, settling onto the right wingtip. During the landing roll-out, the left main landing gear leg retracted and the aircraft slewed to the right by approximately 90 degrees, before coming to rest on the edge of Runway 11, halfway along the 6,362-foot runway.
The AFRS were quickly in attendance but no fire or fuel spillage occurred, and the pilot and passengers were able to exit the aircraft from the main cabin door. The pilot estimated that fuel equating to 20 minutes of flying time remained on board the aircraft following the landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f64bed915d13710005ed/Piper_PA-31-350_Navajo_Chieftain__N678BY_08-11.pdf
2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=678BY
3. https://flightaware.com/resources/registration/N678BY
4. https://flightaware.com/photos/view/7065800-fa2c6912bcb992db3106f8d424bd6f2a60562c2d/aircraft/N678BY/sort/votes/page/1/size/fullsize
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Apr-2015 01:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 20-Oct-2017 19:53 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 20-Oct-2017 19:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 20-Oct-2017 19:55 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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