Accident Overview
On Sunday, October 12, 2014, at approximately 16:41 Japan Standard Time, a privately owned Piper PA-28R-201T, registration JA59FB, executed a belly landing on runway 17 of Chofu Airfield, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. No fire occurred. The pilot and two passengers on board were not injured.
Flight History
The aircraft departed Akita Airport at around 14:40 for a familiarization flight bound for Chofu Airfield. The pilot occupied the right front seat; a passenger (Passenger A) with a private pilot certificate sat in the left front seat, and another passenger (Passenger B) sat in the rear seat. The flight plan specified VFR rules, a cruising speed of 130 knots, and an endurance of three hours.
Events Leading to the Accident
During the flight, approximately one hour and 20–30 minutes after takeoff, the pilot received ATIS from Tokyo and Narita airports. Over the Sekiyado VOR (about 25 nm northeast of Chofu), the pilot attempted to contact the Chofu flight service station but received no response; similar attempts over Oizumi and Inokashira were unsuccessful. The pilot then transmitted one-way position information per the airfield's radio-failure procedure and entered a right downwind for runway 17.
While circling above Oizumi, the pilot noticed the ammeter indicated zero. He verified that the alternator circuit breaker was not tripped and reset the alternator switch, but the ammeter reading did not change. Concluding that the alternator had failed and battery capacity was reduced, the pilot turned off all electrical devices except the alternator switch and the No. 1 and No. 2 radios. He performed these actions from memory, without consulting the aircraft flight manual.
Landing Gear Operation
Approaching the airfield, the pilot asked Passenger A to lower the landing gear using the gear lever. After the lever was operated, the three landing gear position indicators did not illuminate. The pilot attributed this to low battery voltage and believed the gear had extended. He did not attempt emergency gear extension. The aircraft touched down on the runway, and the pilot heard abnormal noise and saw bent propeller tips, realizing the gear was not down.
Post-Accident Actions
The pilot turned off all switches, closed the fuel selector valve, and ensured all occupants evacuated safely. No fuel leakage or fire occurred.
Probable Causes
The Japan Transport Safety Board concluded that the accident occurred because the alternator failed during flight, and the pilot did not recognize the failure, continuing flight on battery power until voltage dropped. Consequently, the landing gear was not extended, and no emergency extension was performed, leading to the belly landing. Contributing factors included the pilot's belief that the gear was down and the lack of proper emergency gear extension procedure execution. Additionally, the alternator annunciator light did not illuminate due to a failure, and the ammeter was difficult for the right-seat pilot to see.