Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, N6696P: Accident occurred August 24, 2019 at Wendover Airport (KENV), Tooele County, Utah

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office;  Salt Lake City, Utah

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

https://registry.faa.gov/N6696P

Location: Wendover, UT
Accident Number: WPR19LA239
Date & Time: 08/24/2019, 1315 MDT
Registration: N6696P
Aircraft: Piper PA24
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On August 24, 2019, about 1315 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N6696P landed with the landing gear partially extended at Wendover Airport (ENV), Wendover, Nevada. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged to the lower forward section of the fuselage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The flight originated from South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Salt Lake City, Utah, at 1215, with a destination of Wendover Airport (ENV), Wendover, Utah.

The pilot reported that during the approach to ENV, he lowered the landing gear and waited for the landing gear indicator light to illuminate. The indicator light did not illuminate, and he continued to cycle the landing gear lever several times to no avail. The landing gear extension motor release arm was removed and activated. Despite his actions, the landing gear did not extend. The pilot contacted the airport tower controller and declared an emergency. Another pilot who was flying a helicopter in the area contacted the pilot and told him that he would come up along side the airplane to get a visual on the airplane's landing gear. The helicopter pilot reported that the landing gear was about a 1/3 extended. Furthermore, the pilot's wife used the landing gear spot mirrors and verified that the landing gear was partially extended; only the tires were visible. In a final attempt to get the landing gear extended, the pilot conducted heavy g-force maneuvers but was unsuccessful. The pilot decided that it was time to land at ENV and the tower controller directed him to land on the dirt section, adjacent to the runway. Subsequently, the pilot landed the airplane on the dirt section resulting in substantial damage to the lower forward section of the fuselage.

The airplane was relocated to a secure location for further examination. 

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N6696P
Model/Series: PA24 250
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: Rocco Phillip W
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KENV, 4235 ft msl
Observation Time: 1315 PDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 33°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm / ,
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  25 Miles
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: West Jordan, UT (U42)
Destination: Wendover, UT (ENV)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 40.718889, -114.030556 (est)



KUTV — A single-engine aircraft was forced to perform an emergency landing at Wendover Airport on Saturday afternoon due to an in-flight mechanical problem. 

At approximately 1:30 p.m. Wendover Police Department assisted the aircraft to land without landing gear. 

The emergency landing was considered controlled. The plane was occupied by two individuals, neither were injured in this event. The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an official investigation to better understand the malfunctions experienced by the aircraft.

Story and video ➤ http://kmyu.tv



WENDOVER, Utah, August 24, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A small plane performed an emergency landing at Wendover Airport Saturday afternoon.

“At 1:30 p.m., Wendover Police responded to the Wendover Airport to assist with an aircraft emergency,” said a Facebook post from the department. “A single-engine aircraft had an in-flight mechanical problem with the landing gear.”

The plane performed a controlled landing without landing gear.

The two occupants on board were uninjured, the post said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Original article can be found here ➤ https://gephardtdaily.com

3 comments:

  1. He could have saved that prop/shock loading by stabbing the starter.

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  2. Agreed. At the same time, once he killed the engine he was probably pretty focused on a smooth landing. Based on what little is shown, it looks like he kept it nice, level, and slow. No one hurt. Good job.

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  3. As a long time Comanche owner, I’m surprised that they weren’t able to extend the gear manually.
    It’s a simple and straightforward procedure. If they weren’t able to achieve this, it really points to either poor maintenance
    or perhaps still having the original cables in the system which can become stiff to move with the motor disconnected.
    Glad they were able to make a safe landing.

    ReplyDelete