On August 11, 1986, a Piper PA24-180 (registration N55UA) was involved in an aviation accident near Orlando, FL. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot was unable to fully extend the landing gear via electric and manual means, leading to a landing with gear partially extended. Examination revealed binding in the manual extension mechanism tunnel between the front seats, with deep scarring indicating prolonged rubbing. Aircraft records showed a prior gear-up landing 125 hours earlier caused damage to the belly and gear motor mounting area.
Incident Details
The pilot was unable to completely extend the landing gear using both electric and manual extension methods. A landing was subsequently performed with the landing gear only partially extended.
Inspection Findings
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed that the landing gear extension mechanism was binding inside the manual extension mechanism tunnel located between the two front seats. Manual pulling on the landing gear allowed it to free up and operate normally after the incident. The point where the gear mechanism was binding was found to be deeply scarred, indicating that the rubbing had been occurring for some time.
Aircraft History
Inspection of the aircraft records disclosed that the aircraft had been landed gear-up 125 hours prior to this accident. That previous event caused damage to the belly of the aircraft and the landing gear motor mounting area.
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