At 1245 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a gear-up landing. The Private pilot and the single passenger were uninjured; a combination of visual and instrument conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, weather conditions began to deteriorate rapidly as the flight approached Prescott, Ariz. The pilot requested and received an IFR clearance to Seligman and, as he was configuring the airplane for landing, the landing gear would not extend. He recycled the gear approximately four times but he did not get a green light indicating that the airplanes landing gear was down and locked. The pilot attempted to extend the gear by following the emergency procedures as described in the POH, but the emergency extension gear handlewould not move forward. Due to the poor weather conditions, the pilot stopped troubleshooting the system and decided to land the airplane with the landing gear retracted. As the airplane skidded to a stop, the outboard edge of the left wing impacted a runway light and ribs in the fuselage structure of the airplane were damaged.
April 09, 2005, Seligman, Ariz. / Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche
At 1245 Mountain time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a gear-up landing. The Private pilot and the single passenger were uninjured; a combination of visual and instrument conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, weather conditions began to deteriorate rapidly as the flight approached Prescott, Ariz. The pilot requested and received an IFR clearance to Seligman and, as he was configuring the airplane for landing, the landing gear would not extend. He recycled the gear approximately four times but he did not get a green light indicating that the airplanes landing gear was down and locked. The pilot attempted to extend the gear by following the emergency procedures as descr...
Key Takeaways:
- A private pilot executed a gear-up landing near Prescott, Arizona, causing substantial damage to the airplane, though the pilot and single passenger were uninjured.
- The landing gear failed to extend despite the pilot recycling it multiple times and attempting emergency extension procedures as described in the POH.
- Deteriorating weather conditions prompted the pilot to stop troubleshooting the gear system and proceed with the gear-up landing.
- Damage included the left wing impacting a runway light and ribs in the fuselage structure being compromised.
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