Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA 28R-201 near Pontiac, MI — 2017-04-09

Final reportCEN17LA150
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Date
2017-04-09
Location
Pontiac, MI, USA
Airport
PTK
Aircraft
PIPER PA 28R-201
Registration
N36458
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

Maintenance personnel’s improper securing of an unused instrument lamp socket during recent maintenance, which resulted in an electrical short of the landing gear controls and stopped the landing gear while it was transitioning to the down position and led to the landing gear collapse.

NTSB narrative

While conducting touch-and-go landings and as the private pilot landed the airplane for the third time, the right main landing gear and nose landing gear collapsed, and the right wing was partially separated from the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that maintenance personnel had improperly secured an unused instrument lamp socket during recent maintenance, which allowed an electrical short of the landing gear controls. The landing gear control circuit breaker tripped, which stopped the landing gear from fully extending while it was transitioning to the down position. It also rendered the landing gear indicators and warnings inoperative so the pilot was unaware the landing gear was not fully extended.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Improperly secured instrument lamp socket during maintenance.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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