Incident Overview
On August 23, 2012, at about 1630 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-30 B, registration N222BP, experienced a landing gear malfunction and executed a gear-up landing at Scappoose Industrial Airpark in Scappoose, Oregon. The aircraft was operated by the owner/pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot was not injured, but the airplane sustained substantial damage to the underbelly structure. The cross-country personal flight had departed Vancouver, Washington, approximately 30 minutes earlier at 1600. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that after lowering the landing gear prior to landing, the gear would not fully extend. He attempted manual extension but was unsuccessful. Due to a low fuel state, the pilot decided to perform a gear-up landing. He chose to land on the soft infield grass adjacent to runway 33 rather than on the runway itself to minimize damage to the airplane.
Damage and Examination
After recovery, examination revealed substantial damage to the lower fuselage structure caused by the soft ground ripping the aluminum sheet metal and belly frame structure during the landing. The airplane was secured for further examination of the landing gear system.
Maintenance personnel and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the aircraft. The inspection identified a failure of the landing gear transmission assembly, which prevented the nose landing gear from extending. The landing gear transmission assembly was subsequently replaced. However, the damaged assembly was not retained for further testing due to a miscommunication with the repair facility.