Incident Overview
On 3 November 2012, a Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Cherokee Arrow IV, registration G-BNTC, was involved in an accident near Sherburn Airfield, Yorkshire. The flight, which originated from Cranfield Airport, was a private flight with one pilot and one passenger on board. The aircraft was manufactured in 1981 and powered by a single Continental Motors Corp TSIO-360-FB piston engine.
Sequence of Events
Approaching Sherburn Airfield, the pilot descended from 4,500 ft to 2,500 ft and selected the landing gear down. He observed a red 'gear unsafe' indication but did not mention in his statement whether any green 'down and locked' indications appeared. He reselected the gear but to no avail. Shortly thereafter, he became aware of smoke emanating from under the seats. Intending to reduce engine power, the pilot instead pulled the propeller rpm lever "in panic." This action limited the engine to a maximum of 2,000 rpm, even with full power applied.
Forced Landing and Damage
Due to the combination of the gear issue and reduced engine power, the pilot decided to conduct a forced landing in a field near his destination. During the landing, the aircraft was severely damaged and deemed beyond economic repair. However, both the pilot and the passenger were uninjured.
Potential Causes
It is possible that the smoke the pilot observed came from the electro-hydraulic landing gear motor, but this has not been confirmed. During the event, the pilot made no attempt to use the emergency extension facility, which would have released hydraulic pressure in the system and allowed the gear to lock down under gravity.
Pilot Information
The commander held a Private Pilot's Licence, was 36 years old, and had a total flying experience of 129 hours, of which 7 were on type. In the last 90 days, he had flown 23 hours, and in the last 28 days, 8 hours.