Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-31P-350 near North Bend, OR — 2011-02-22

Final reportWPR11CA142
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Date
2011-02-22
Location
North Bend, OR, USA
Airport
KOTH
Aircraft
PIPER PA-31P-350
Registration
N9237Y
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear while on approach to landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to follow a written checklist during the approach portion of the flight.

NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, while in the process of executing a terminal instrument approach to his home airport, he transitioned from instrument meteorological conditions to visual meteorological conditions. He canceled his instrument flight rules clearance, and transitioned from the terminal instrument approach to a visual flight rules approach pattern. During this sequence of events he did not follow a written checklist, and inadvertently forgot to lower the landing gear. During the landing flare, he heard the noise caused by the wing flaps and both propellers contacting the surface of the runway, and he added power and immediately executed a go-around. He then entered a closed pattern, lowered the landing gear and repositioned the flaps, before making an uneventful landing. He said during the approach he heard the gear warning horn sounding, but he thought it was the altitude alerting system. An inspection of both the runway surface scarring and each propeller blade revealed that the tips of all six blades had been grounded down by repeated contact with the asphalt surface. He also said that the airplane did not have any system malfunctions.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot did not follow checklist and forgot to lower landing gear before landing.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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