Piper PA-32R-301T N8170S

Summary

On 2 March 2000 at about 00:00 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T registered N8170S was involved in an accident near Coalinga, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 March 2000 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Coalinga, California, United States

Nearest airport

Harris Ranch (3O8)

Coordinates

36.1896, -120.3902

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301T

Registration

N8170S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Maria → Fresno

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX00LA112

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the landing gear for undetermined reasons to go into the locked position after the pilot conducted a manual and emergency gear extension. A factor in the accident was the undetermined failure of the electrical system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The landing gear collapsed during a precautionary landing following a complete electrical system failure. The airplane experienced a complete electrical failure during cruise. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing and diverted to an alternate airport. He shut down all electrical items when he became aware of the electrical system failure. As he neared the alternate airport, he slowed the airplane down to the normal gear extension speed, lowered the gear with the automatic switch, and felt the landing gear extend. He stated that because there were no landing gear lights illuminated he could not verify that the landing gear was in the locked position. He then conducted the emergency gear extension checklist, and noted that his airspeed and power were consistent with what he associated with the landing gear being in the down position. Touchdown was normal, but on the landing rollout, the nose and left main landing gear collapsed and the left wing struck a taxi light. Prior to exiting the airplane, the pilot shutoff the master switch. During the recovery of the airplane, it was raised on jacks and the landing gear was extended with no discrepancies noted. During repair work on the airplane, a landing gear extension/retraction test was conducted, with no system anomalies noted. The inspection of the airplane was unable to determine the cause of the electrical failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.