Piper AEROSTAR 602P N301FW

Summary

On 11 March 2017 at about 23:15 local time, a Piper AEROSTAR 602P registered N301FW was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, 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

11 March 2017 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno/Tahoe Intl (RNO)

Coordinates

39.4992, -119.7681

Aircraft

Piper AEROSTAR 602P

Registration

N301FW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sandpoint → Minden

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA076

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the left main landing gear to fully extend for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and testing did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions 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

The airline transport pilot reported that, nearing the airport at the conclusion of a personal cross-country flight, he performed the before landing checklist. When he extended the landing gear, he noted that only the nose and right main landing gear (MLG) lights were illuminated, which indicated that the left MLG was not locked in the extended position. He then climbed and performed the emergency gear extension checklist, but the left MLG still did not extend. The pilot chose to continue flying to exhaust the fuel in the left tank before attempting to land. During landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and impacted two taxiway signs before coming to rest. A witness reported that it appeared that the left-side tire was sitting against the inside gear door and not fully extended. The pilot reported that the accident flight was the first flight after a recent owner-assisted annual inspection, during which the left landing gear control valve was resealed with new "O" rings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right MLG side brace was broken, which would prevent gear retraction. During a partial gear-swing test, the MLG gear started to retract; however, immediately thereafter, the left side push-pull rod assembly that connected the gear door actuator to the MLG and door control valve failed and broke in half, likely due to impact damage. The push-pull rod and control valve were subsequently examined, and there was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the failure of the left MLG to fully extend could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.