Incident Overview
On February 7, 2018, at about 1800 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-260 airplane, registration N9360P, had a runway excursion after its landing gear collapsed during landing on runway 18 at Hector International Airport (FAR), near Fargo, North Dakota. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage when it contacted a runway sign.
Flight Details
The rental airplane was registered to Vic's Aircraft Sales LLC and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Dusk light visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from FAR about 1740.
Pre-Flight Issues
According to an interview with an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that after taxiing to the Jet Center to pick up a passenger, the airplane's engine would not start. A ground power unit was used to start the engine. The pilot ran the engine to charge the battery and verified the charging system by checking the ammeter. However, he did not verify the ammeter indication before takeoff.
In-Flight Events
After departure, the pilot noticed that he did not receive a radio call from the tower controller and saw that all radios were inoperative. He re-entered the traffic pattern at FAR and rocked the airplane's wings to indicate radio difficulties. The controller gave him a green light to land. The pilot selected the gear down using normal procedures, then, due to the electrical failure, initiated the emergency gear extension. He was unable to remove the cover plate over the emergency gear handle, so he bent the cover back. He placed the emergency extension rod into the right hole on the torque tube and rocked the rod back and forth. The pilot checked the mirror on the wing tip and the landing gear appeared to be down.
Landing and Excursion
On touchdown on the runway, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the runway, impacting a runway sign. The pilot was not able to see the emergency gear extension instruction printed inside the cover plate because he could not open it, and he did not use the emergency procedures in the airplane flight manual or abbreviated check list to properly extend the gear.
Post-Accident Investigation
According to the flight instructor who conducted the pilot's checkout in the accident airplane, he had explained to the pilot how the electrical system fails to charge a battery that has gone completely dead even when external power is used to start the engine. The instructor explained that "for the battery to be charged by the alternator you first need to get at least a minimal charge in the battery to provide enough voltage to open the field for the electricity from the alternator to flow to the battery to fully charge it."
The instructor also explained the emergency landing gear extension and how it would require a mechanic to reset the gear. Once the emergency landing gear extension had been accomplished, the pilot cannot retract the gear. The instructor and pilot then pulled the floor panel for the landing gear and visually discussed the landing gear and emergency gear extension a second time. This included pulling the removable extension handle from its position and demonstrating how it inserted into the socket. The instructor advised that the pilot would feel a positive movement and physical locking of the gear into place when the emergency procedure was completed. He pointed out that during an electrical failure, the pilot would not have a gear down light illuminated but there was the mirror on the left wing that would show at least two of the gear down.
An FAA inspector interviewed a mechanic who troubleshot the aircraft electrical system following the accident. It was determined that the alternator was the cause of the electrical charging failure and that the battery was not fully charged before takeoff.