Piper PA 31-310 N722CF

Summary

On 4 December 2017 at about 00:10 local time, a Piper PA 31-310 registered N722CF, operated by Luftladder Inc, was involved in an accident near Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States. 3 people were 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

4 December 2017 at 00:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Clark Rgnl (JVY)

Coordinates

38.3656, -85.7381

Aircraft

Piper PA 31-310

Registration

N722CF

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

2

Operator

Luftladder Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wellsville → Jeffersonville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

CEN18LA048

Nobody was injured.

The right main landing gear’s failure to fully extend for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident testing revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

When the airplane was about 5 miles from the airport, the commercial pilot lowered the landing gear and noted that the right main landing gear (MLG) was slow to extend, but within a few seconds, all three gear down indicator lights illuminated. The airplane descended normally, and when it was above the runway about to flare, the right MLG indicator light extinguished. The pilot initiated a go-around, increased engine power, pitched for climb, and retracted the MLG and flaps. The airplane likely settled after the flaps were retracted, and the pilot heard a noise similar to a propeller blade contacting something. The pilot decided to abort the go-around and landed the airplane straight ahead. The airplane came to a stop on the runway with the MLG retracted. Postaccident MLG retraction tests were performed satisfactorily, and no defects were noted. Based on the available information, the reason that the right MLG did not fully extend and lock could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.