37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 269551 |
Time | |
Date | 199404 |
Day | Sat |
Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : mle |
State Reference | NE |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 3 agl bound upper : 4000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Operator | general aviation : instructional |
Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around landing other |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
ASRS Report | 269551 |
Events | |
Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Weather |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a visual approach to millard after canceling IFR I descended below 4000 ft MSL. Once below 4000 ft the turbulence increased to moderate occasionally severe, I even hit my head on the roof a couple times. Once on downwind I reached for the gear selector and selected gear down. I remember my hand being jerked off of the selector due to the turbulence. I was on downwind for runway 12 and the AWOS report was XA13Z 5000 broken, 10 mi visibility, temperature 77 degrees F dewpoint 54 degrees F, wind 190 degrees 13 KTS gusts to 26 KTS, altimeter 29.76.' density altitude plus 2700. I was constantly jerked, bounced around. I questioned several times whether or not I would be able to land. Once I turned on final the turbulence increased and I added power because I lost around 20 KTS of airspeed. On short final I glanced at the gear lights and it looked like they were on but the sun was hitting them directly. I continued the approach. Once over the runway the winds seemed to diminish a little. In the flare I heard a scrapping noise, I added power and went around. When I reached for the gear selector I realized that it was only down to the neutral position. The next approach and landing was fine and upon shutdown I saw that I had hit the propellers and bent the tips of both engine's propeller blades. Afterward I realized that no matter how much of a habit, a person can make a mistake. I usually check gear down at least 3 times. Under certain circumstances habits aren't enough.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GEAR UP LNDG ATTEMPTED. GAR EXECUTED.
Narrative: ON A VISUAL APCH TO MILLARD AFTER CANCELING IFR I DSNDED BELOW 4000 FT MSL. ONCE BELOW 4000 FT THE TURB INCREASED TO MODERATE OCCASIONALLY SEVERE, I EVEN HIT MY HEAD ON THE ROOF A COUPLE TIMES. ONCE ON DOWNWIND I REACHED FOR THE GEAR SELECTOR AND SELECTED GEAR DOWN. I REMEMBER MY HAND BEING JERKED OFF OF THE SELECTOR DUE TO THE TURB. I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12 AND THE AWOS RPT WAS XA13Z 5000 BROKEN, 10 MI VISIBILITY, TEMP 77 DEGS F DEWPOINT 54 DEGS F, WIND 190 DEGS 13 KTS GUSTS TO 26 KTS, ALTIMETER 29.76.' DENSITY ALT PLUS 2700. I WAS CONSTANTLY JERKED, BOUNCED AROUND. I QUESTIONED SEVERAL TIMES WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD BE ABLE TO LAND. ONCE I TURNED ON FINAL THE TURB INCREASED AND I ADDED PWR BECAUSE I LOST AROUND 20 KTS OF AIRSPD. ON SHORT FINAL I GLANCED AT THE GEAR LIGHTS AND IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE ON BUT THE SUN WAS HITTING THEM DIRECTLY. I CONTINUED THE APCH. ONCE OVER THE RWY THE WINDS SEEMED TO DIMINISH A LITTLE. IN THE FLARE I HEARD A SCRAPPING NOISE, I ADDED PWR AND WENT AROUND. WHEN I REACHED FOR THE GEAR SELECTOR I REALIZED THAT IT WAS ONLY DOWN TO THE NEUTRAL POS. THE NEXT APCH AND LNDG WAS FINE AND UPON SHUTDOWN I SAW THAT I HAD HIT THE PROPS AND BENT THE TIPS OF BOTH ENG'S PROP BLADES. AFTERWARD I REALIZED THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH OF A HABIT, A PERSON CAN MAKE A MISTAKE. I USUALLY CHK GEAR DOWN AT LEAST 3 TIMES. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES HABITS AREN'T ENOUGH.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.