At about 1553 Alaska time, a Piper PA-31-350 was damaged during an inadvertent wheels-up landing at Fairbanks International Airport. The pilot and eight passengers aboard the Part 135 flight were not injured. The pilot said that, as he entered the pattern, he was told by the tower to cross over and enter right traffic for runway 1. The tower then told him he would have to extend downwind because of traffic. The pilot said he decided not to put the landing gear down at the usual point because of the request to extend his pattern. He said as he started to extend his pattern, the tower asked him to expedite a base turn and keep it tight. The pilot said he failed to complete his checklist on the base leg and, on final, airplane behind him said they were too close and they were going to go around. In the confusion, he said he never completed his before-landing checklist and landed the airplane with the gear retracted. The pilot said fatigue added to his confusion.
March 13, Fairbanks, Alaska: Piper Chieftain
At about 1553 Alaska time, a Piper PA-31-350 was damaged during an inadvertent wheels-up landing at Fairbanks International Airport. The pilot and eight passengers aboard the Part 135 flight were not injured. The pilot said that, as he entered the pattern, he was told by the tower to cross over and enter right traffic for runway 1. The tower then told him he would have to extend downwind because of traffic. The pilot said he decided not to put the landing gear down at the usual point because of the request to extend his pattern. He said as he started to extend his pattern, the tower asked him to expedite a base turn and keep it tight. The pilot said he failed to complete his checklist on t...
Key Takeaways:
- A Piper PA-31-350 sustained damage during an inadvertent wheels-up landing at Fairbanks International Airport, with no injuries to the pilot or eight passengers.
- The pilot attributed the incident to a disrupted routine caused by air traffic control instructions to extend and then expedite his pattern, leading him to delay putting the landing gear down and ultimately fail to complete his before-landing checklist.
- Fatigue was also cited by the pilot as a factor that added to his confusion during the sequence of events.
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