Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Greeley-Weld County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Greeley, Colorado 80634
Friday, February 17, 2006 14:10 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was cleared for the ILS approach to runway 34 (10,000 feet by 100 feet, dry asphalt) and was instructed to change radio frequency to the airport UNICOM. The pilot performed a missed approach, contacted approach control and informed them that he was executing a missed approach for a "no gear indication." The airplane subsequently circled over the airport in an attempt to get the landing gear to come down. Finally, the pilot performed a wheels up landing. During the landing, the airplane's right wing struck a runway sign. The pilot said that about half way to their destination, they heard something vibrate. After 5 minutes the vibration stopped. The pilot said the vibration occurred again later. On the ILS approach, the pilot said the wheels failed to come down. "I advised approach control and said I intended to circle the field and extend the landing gear manually." The pilot said he "was not successful lowering the wheels. They wouldn't budge." The pilot said that airport personnel requested he continue to circle until emergency equipment was in place. "I did, and continued trying to lower the wheels. When the airport people were ready, we landed with the wheels up." The pilot said the temperature en route was "about minus 5 [degrees]." Responders to the airplane reported that it was covered with ice that measured approximately 3/4 inch thick. An examination of the airplane's systems showed no anomalies. The weather at the airport was reported as ceilings 400 broken, 5,500 broken, 7,500 overcast, 1-1/2 mile visibility, temperature 2 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point -2 degrees F, winds 040 at 16 knots, and altimeter 30.32 inches.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's flight into adverse weather conditions, the airframe ice, and the wheels up landing. Factors contributing to the accident were the icing conditions, the frozen landing gear, the frozen alternate gear extension system, and the runway sign.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/17/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1410 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Greeley |
| Event State | COLORADO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 80634 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 402615N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1043759W |
| Event Location Airport | Greeley-Weld County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | GXY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4697 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 160 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GXY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4697 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 400 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1.5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.32 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19977 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Northwest Mountain Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 17 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 29 2006 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Denver, CO FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7743Y |
| NTSB Number | DEN06LA041 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-30 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30-833 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4887 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Walton Evert Bedinger, Jr. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2018 46th Avenue, Unit P1 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Greeley |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80634 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SUX |
| Departure City | Sioux City |
| Departure State | IA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1110 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GXY |
| Destination City | Greeley |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 12 2006 1:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | BOWL |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | 10000 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |