History of Flight
On July 5, 2012, at about 1600 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 (N8308Y) was substantially damaged during landing at Mesquite Metro Airport (KHQZ), Mesquite, Texas. The pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The local flight departed KHQZ at 1515.
During the downwind leg, the pilot extended the landing gear and observed that the right main landing gear indicator light was flickering green, suggesting a possible sensor malfunction. He sought visual confirmation from another pilot flying behind him and from a pilot awaiting takeoff; both reported the landing gear appeared down. Based on these visual confirmations and his belief that the sensor was at fault, the pilot chose not to perform the emergency landing gear extension procedures from the pilot operating handbook. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 46, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued February 26, 2012, and a third-class medical certificate issued May 1, 2012, with no limitations. His total flight time was 146 hours, with 94 hours as pilot-in-command, 23 hours in the previous 90 days, and 6.8 hours in the accident make and model.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 28R-8118039, was manufactured in 1981. The last annual inspection occurred on January 20, 2012, with 9,114 total airframe hours. No landing gear maintenance was recorded in the maintenance records, and no airworthiness directives or inspections were due at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest approximately 120 feet to the right of runway 17 centerline in a grassy, sloped water drainage area with a 3- to 4-foot drop-off. Ground scarring indicated the airplane tracked in a rightward arc from near the runway centerline to its final position.
Tests and Research
Examination of the airplane revealed evidence of corrosion and a lack of lubrication in the landing gear components. The right main landing gear would not freefall down during testing. After lubrication, the gear freefell into the down-and-locked position normally. The gear down limit switch had a gap measurement of 0.235 inches between the down lock hook and down lock pin, well outside the specified 0.025 to 0.035 inch range for proper indication.
Additional Information
The Piper PA-28RT pilot operating handbook includes an Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklist. The pilot stated that he did not attempt these procedures because he perceived the sensor to be faulty and had received visual confirmation that the gear was down.