Accident Overview
On January 2, 2022, at approximately 1530 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, registration N5844P, was substantially damaged during an accident at Grand Forks International Airport (GFK) in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that as he approached his intended destination, the landing gear did not extend properly. His attempts to manually extend the landing gear were unsuccessful, prompting him to divert to a tower-controlled airport. The tower controller confirmed that the landing gear appeared to be "a few inches down from the retracted position" but was not fully extended.
The airplane was equipped with an aftermarket engine cowling installation that included an electrically actuated nose landing gear door system. Before using the emergency gear extension system, the nose landing gear door had to be released. The cockpit door release lever extended about one-half inch before meeting "heavy resistance." Despite consultation with a mechanic via radio and further efforts, the landing gear could not be fully extended. The pilot executed an emergency gear-up landing, during which the airframe sustained damage to the lower fuselage.
Postaccident Examination
Following the accident, Federal Aviation Administration inspectors performed a postaccident examination of the landing gear system after the airplane was moved to a hangar. The landing motor jack screw was found in the retracted position. Electrical power did not appear to be reaching the gear extension motor. When the nose landing gear doors were released (opened), the landing gear could be extended manually. Although the inspectors identified an anomaly with both the primary and secondary extension/retraction systems, the exact source of the problem could not be determined.