PA28 ACFT IS DAMAGED AFTER A GEAR UP LNDG BY A LOW TIME PVT PLT AT A NON TWR ARPT.

Date: 2003-08 · Aircraft: PA-28R Cherokee Arrow All Series · Phase: landing

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-plt-distr

Synopsis

PA28 ACFT IS DAMAGED AFTER A GEAR UP LNDG BY A LOW TIME PVT PLT AT A NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative

THE FLT BEGAN ON AUG/FRI/03; XX00 WITH A NORMAL RUN-UP AT MGM WITH A DEP ON RWY 28. THE TKOF AT XA15 WAS NORMAL. WHEN I RETRACTED THE GEAR; THE GEAR FELL ONCE THE RETRACTION WAS COMPLETE. I CHKED THE AIRSPD (88-90 KTS); GEAR HANDLE UP; BREAKERS WERE SET; AND THE EMER GEAR DOWN LEVER WAS IN THE DOWN POS. I RESET THE EMER LEVER TO THE UP POS AND CYCLED THE GEAR. ONCE AGAIN THE GEAR FELL WHEN THE UP CYCLE WAS COMPLETE. I THEN SET THE EMER GEAR OVERRIDE AND CYCLED THE GEAR UP AND THE PROB STOPPED. I CONTINUED TO ZZZ WHERE I ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND A KIT FOX THAT CALLED THE LNDG RWY TO BE RWY 9. I SLOWED DOWN TO 90 KTS AND DID A 'GUMP' LESS GEAR. AT PATTERN ALT; I FOLLOWED OUTSIDE THE KIT FOX ON DOWNWIND WHERE I STARTED MY SECOND 'GUMP.' WHEN I ADJUSTED MY POS IN MY SEAT; THE SEAT RELEASED AND SLID BACKWARDS. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN THE SEAT BACK TO MY FLT POS BY RELEASING MY LAP BELT AND SCOOTING FORWARD; THEN RESETTING MY LAP BELT. THE KIT FOX HAD TURNED FINAL SO I EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND WITH 1 NOTCH OF FLAPS. I TURNED BASE AND ADDED MY SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS AND MANEUVERED CAUTIOUSLY BEING MINDFUL OF THE SEAT SLIPPING BEFORE. I WAS REVIEWING WHAT I WOULD DO IF THE SEAT SLIPPED DURING FLARE OR TOUCHDOWN. I CHKED MY FUEL; PUMP; PROP; MIXTURE BY FEEL WHILE WATCHING THE KIT FOX TAKE OFF. MY APCH WAS IN GOOD SHAPE. I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE WHEN I CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 9 AND PROCEEDED TO FLARE AND GENTLY TOUCH DOWN. AS I APCHED THE RWY; I CONTINUED MY FLARE APCHING A FULL STALL LNDG WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS LOW (LIKE IN A MOONEY). I THEN HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR STARBOARD SIDE AND THEN I REALIZED I WAS GEAR UP. AS I SETTLED DOWN THE PROP STRUCK THE GND BEFORE I COULD PULL FULL LEAN AND I SLID TO A STOP AT MIDFIELD AFTER ROTATING TO THE PORT SIDE APPROX 100 DEGS. AN ACFT MECH WAS ON SITE AND LIFTED THE ACFT WITH HIS SLING LIFTS SO THE GEAR COULD BE LOWERED. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO A COVERED PARKING AREA; LOCKED UP TO AWAIT AN ASSESSMENT. I RETURNED TO FBO TO RPT THE ACCIDENT AND RETURNED THE LOG AND KEY. I CONTACTED FSDO APPROX XY00 AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE ACCIDENT; LOCATION OF THE ACFT AND VERIFIED FSDO HAD MY HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER. HUMAN FACTORS: HEAT; FATIGUE; DISTR WITH ULTRALIGHTS AND SEAT PROB.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.