Gear-up landing Accident Piper PA-30 N7943Y,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 308685
 
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Date:Monday 28 February 2022
Time:12:56 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA30 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-30
Owner/operator:Century Air
Registration: N7943Y
MSN: 30-1036
Year of manufacture:1966
Total airframe hrs:5505 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-320-B1A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Farmingdale, New York -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Shirley-Brookhaven Airport, NY (WSH/KHWV)
Destination airport:Farmingdale, NY
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
Prior to landing during the commercial multi-engine checkride flight, the pilot performed the flight school's landing checklist as he flew s-turns on the final approach leg to slow for traffic ahead. The pilot reported that 'during the unstable approach my attention was divided between obliging the DPE's (designated pilot examiner) advisements, slower traffic ahead of us, traffic behind, and listening (for a) possibl(e)…go-around (instruction) due to poor spacing.” He stated that he did not see the amber gear-up light illuminate and did not hear the landing gear warning horn. The pilot further reported that during the approach, the DPE advised him to not 'reduce the power that much, we're going to get behind the power curve and sink”, which he heeded. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.

A post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear motor circuit breaker was open. During recovery of the airplane from the runway, a mechanic reset the circuit breaker, after which the landing gear operated normally. Subsequent testing of the landing gear revealed that the landing gear warning horn and the green landing gear down and locked indicator light functioned normally. According to the airplane owner's handbook, the amber light should flash when power is reduced on one engine with the landing gear up. The landing gear warning horn should sound when power is reduced on both engines below about 12 inches of manifold pressure if the landing gear is not down and locked. Given the pilot's report of landing with some engine power applied, the power setting may have been above the threshold to activate the landing gear warning horn.

Another pilot reported that a similar event occurred about two months prior to the accident. During an approach, when he moved the landing gear selector to the down position, there was no noise, and the landing gear down and locked indicator light did not illuminate. He performed a go around, and then discovered that the landing gear motor circuit breaker was open. He reset the circuit breaker and lowered the landing gear, which operated normally thereafter.

Probable Cause: The flight crew's failure to verify the landing gear position prior to landing. Contributing to the accident was an overload in the landing gear motor electrical circuit which resulted in the circuit breaker opening, preventing the landing gear from extending.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: ERA22LA138
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 3 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB ERA22LA138

Location

Revision history:

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