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July 29, 2018 · Piper PA24 250 · N7893P

Evanston, WY

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 29, 2018
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Evanston, WY
Aircraft
Piper PA24 250 (1962)
Tail Number
N7893P
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
GAA18CA462

The pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that, during the cross-country flight, the autopilot failed, and he struggled to use the sectional charts. He added that heat and wind made the flight uncomfortable, and smoke from wildland fires decreased visibility to about 5 statute miles, so he decided to land. He completed some of the GUMPS (gas [proper tank selected], undercarriage [gear down], mixture [full mix for landing], and propeller [high rpm setting]) checklist and decided not to extend the landing gear to have better control. Upon arrival at the airport, he decided to leave the landing gear retracted as he searched for the windsock on the airport, but he could not find it. Subsequently, he attempted to contact the airport on the Unicom frequency, but he later determined that he had used an incorrect frequency. He decided to land on runway 5, which he later identified was the incorrect runway given the wind direction. He forgot to extend the landing gear before landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the longerons and bulkheads. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear during landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's distraction and his failure to complete the appropriate checklist before landing.

Full Narrative

The pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that during the cross-country flight, the auto-pilot failed and he struggled to use the sectional charts. Additionally, heat and wind made the flight uncomfortable, and smoke from wildland fires decreased visibility to about 5 statute miles so he decided to land. Upon arrival at the airport he decided to leave the landing gear retracted as he searched for the wind sock on the airport. He did not locate the wind sock and attempted to contact the airport on the airport's Unicom, but later discovered that he had used an incorrect frequency. He decided to land on runway 5, which he later identified was the incorrect runway given the wind direction. He recalled that he had completed some variation of the GUMPS checklist but forgot to extend the landing gear and landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the longerons and bulkheads. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time14:45 MDT
Nearest AirportEvanston-Uinta County Burns Fi (0nm SW)
Runway05
Runway Length7300 ft
Runway Width100 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA24 250
Tail NumberN7893P
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-540 SER · Reciprocating · 250
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 80 · Third Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind320° @ 15 kt, gusting 25 kt
Visibility9 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point21 C
Altimeter30.32 inHg
Observation Time20:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data