A LOW TIME PA28 PLT REALIZED; TOO LATE; THAT HIS ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE CAUSED HIS COM FAILURE AND THAT THE GEAR HE HAD LOWERED WAS ACTUALLY STILL RETRACTED. THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL AFTER HIS GEAR UP LNDG AT ZZZ.

Date: 2004-03 · Aircraft: PA-28R Cherokee Arrow All Series

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|ground-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control

Synopsis

A LOW TIME PA28 PLT REALIZED; TOO LATE; THAT HIS ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE CAUSED HIS COM FAILURE AND THAT THE GEAR HE HAD LOWERED WAS ACTUALLY STILL RETRACTED. THIS WAS NOT DISCOVERED UNTIL AFTER HIS GEAR UP LNDG AT ZZZ.

Narrative

COMING BACK FROM A TRAINING SESSION IN ZZZ1; DURING WHICH THE PLT PERFORMED 11 TKOFS AND LNDGS; THE PLT CONTACTED ZZZ TWR WHEN PASSING OVER A VFR CHK POINT AT 6500 FT WITH CURRENT ATIS AND REQUESTING FULL STOP LNDG. TWR REPLIED; ASKING THE PLT TO COME ON A BASE LEG FOR RWY 31R AND RPT 3 MI ON BASE. AT RPTING POINT; PLT DID THE RPT AND DID NOT RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM ATC. CHKED COM #1 AND REALIZED COM #1 WAS NOT WORKING. PLT SWITCHED TO COM #2 AND COULD HEAR ATC CALLING HIM; BUT WHEN PLT TRIED TO CONTACT ATC; THEY DIDN'T REPLY. PLT ASSUMED COM FAILURE. ARRIVING ON FINAL WITH TOO MUCH ALT; DECIDED TO DO A 360 DEG AND PREPARE LNDG AS EXPECTED BY ATC; STILL MONITORING COM #2. DURING THE 360 DEG; PLT PUT FLAPS AND PUT GEAR CTL IN DOWN POS. DURING 360 DEG; PLT LOST TOTALLY COM #2 (COULDN'T HEAR ATC ON COM #2). PLT TRIED TO RESET MASTER WITHOUT SUCCESS AND CHKED BATTERY LOAD WHICH WAS CLOSE TO ZERO. AT THIS POINT; THE AIRPLANE WAS ON PROPER PATH FOR LNDG. PLT COULDN'T SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNAL FROM TWR; OR ANY AIRPLANE ON THE RWY OR ABOUT TO ENTER THE RWY; SO THE PLT DECIDED TO FLARE AND LAND THE AIRPLANE. AIRPLANE LANDED ON THE CTRLINE WITHOUT GEAR AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE R SIDE OF RWY 31R. GEAR UP WARNING HORN NEVER CAME ON. THE GEAR UP LNDG IS DUE TO THE INABILITY OF THE PLT TO FOLLOW THE CORRECT; NORMAL; AND EMER CHKLISTS AFTER DISCOVERING THE ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE. FACTORS THAT HAVE AFFECTED THE SIT ARE: SIT OCCURRED DURING THE LNDG PHASE. THE PROGRESSIVE FAILURE OF COMPONENTS RELATED TO THE ELECTRIC SYS LED THE PLT TO REALIZE; TOO LATE; THAT THE LOSS OF COM WAS RELATED TO A MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROB THAT WOULD AFFECT OTHER SYS OF THE AIRPLANE. PLT WAS COMING BACK FROM A LONG TRAINING FLT AND WAS TIRED. THE PLT SHOULD HAVE PERFORMED A GAR AND STAYED AWAY FROM THE ARPT UNTIL HE HAD FINISHED ASSESSING THE SIT AND MAKING SURE THAT HE COULD PERFORM A LNDG AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. THEN GOT BACK TO THE ARPT AND WAIT FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR.

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