Piper PA-28R-200 N578PA

Summary

On 10 November 1986 at about 17:15 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N578PA, operated by Arrow Flight Club, Inc., was involved in an accident near South Bend, Indiana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

10 November 1986 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

South Bend, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Michiana Regional (SBN)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N578PA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Arrow Flight Club, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Austin → Grand Rapids

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI87LA022

2 people had minor injuries.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING CRUISE AT 7000' MSL, THE PLT ASSUMED THAT HE WAS HAVING AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE BECAUSE HE HAD NOT HEARD ANY ARTCC TRANSMISSIONS, FUEL GAUGES WERE INDICATING LOW FUEL, AMMETER READING WAS ZERO, AND LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT CYCLE. HE SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT EXCEPT COMM AND PROCEEDED TO SOUTH BEND AIRPORT. WHILE PREPARING TO LAND HE CHECKED THE POSITION OF THE OVERRIDE LEVER FOR THE AUTOMATIC EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR, BUT DID NOT TRY TO RAISE AND THEN LOWER THE LEVER AS SUGGESTED UNDER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN THE ACFT MANUAL. PLT ALSO STATED HE DID NOT TRY TO YAW THE ACFT WHICH IS ALSO RECOMMENDED IN ACFT MANUAL FOR EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION. ALTHOUGH THE PLT DID TRY TO VERIFY ELECTRICAL FAILURE BY TURNING ON THE PITOT HEAT, HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE TO SWITCH OFF THE ALTERNATOR FOR ONE SECOND AND THEN BACK ON TO SEE IF THE AMMETER CONTINUED TO INDICATE NO OUTPUT. ACFT LANDED GEAR UP RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.