Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Columbus County Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Whiteville, North Carolina 28472
Saturday, October 3, 2009 19:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported a complete loss of electrical power and that he was unable to lower the landing gear as a result. Several attempts to lower the landing gear using the emergency procedures published in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook were also unsuccessful. A mechanic and the pilot reviewed the procedure by cellular telephone as the airplane circled over the airport, but the landing gear would not deploy. After an estimated 90 minutes of maneuvering and troubleshooting, the pilot announced that he would land the airplane with the gear up. According to the mechanic, the airplane was at low altitude over the approach end of the runway when the pilot “chopped the power.” He said, “He chopped the power too high, and didn’t have enough ‘flare speed’ and hit the runway pretty hard.” Examination of the airplane at the scene revealed substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and empennage structures. Detailed examination of the airplane by the mechanic and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed that the air conditioning compressor had seized, the compressor belt had broken, which then fouled the alternator belt. Once the alternator belt broke, the battery power was exhausted, and the airplane experienced a complete electrical failure. Examination of the landing gear revealed that with electrical power applied, the landing gear would operate as designed. With electrical power removed, the “emergency down valve” which allowed the gear to free-fall into position, would not release the hydraulic pressure to allow the gear to lower. Instead, the pressure was released by opening a hydraulic line, and the gear then lowered as designed. The emergency down valve was found with blockage. The aircraft manufacturer calls for the landing gear system to be tested each 100 flight hours. The last inspection was performed 10.5 months and 20 flight hours before the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's improper flare and subsequent hard landing during an intentional gear-up landing following multiple mechanical malfunctions. Also causal to the accident was an inoperative landing gear emergency-down valve which had blockage for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/3/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1930 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Whiteville |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28472 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341613N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0784232W |
| Event Location Airport | Columbus County Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CPC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 99 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1934 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CPC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 99 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Bright |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.88 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 27394 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern CROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 31 2010 9:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8809C |
| NTSB Number | ERA10LA004 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Unknown |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7680139 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 20 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 3902 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CAROLINAS AVIATION LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WHITEVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 28472-9406 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CAROLINAS AVIATION LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WHITEVILLE |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 28472-9406 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CPC |
| Departure City | Whiteville |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1730 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CPC |
| Destination City | Whiteville |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 31 2010 9:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 24 |
| Runway Length | 5500 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |