Minor small aircraft damage from gear collapse on landing.

Attributes
ACN	434692
Time
Date	199904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vcv.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-24 Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 1013 flight time type : 511
ASRS Report	434692
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

In apr/99, the piper comanche that I was plting had a collapsed gear incident resulting in damage to the propeller and very limited damage to the skin on the front lower side. On the downwind leg for landing, I lowered the electrically operated landing gear. Since the runway was 9500 ft, the descent to land was not hurried. At about the point where the main landing wheels should have touched down, there was a hesitation in the descent, but then the descent continued until the airframe touched ground. There were no injuries to either myself or passenger. Upon later examination inside the cabin, it was discovered that the circuit breaker for the landing gear motor had 'tripped,' most likely leading to a situation where the gear were mostly down, but not locked. On final, I had noted that the landing gear switch was in the proper position, and had thought that the single green lens (for gear down) was lit. However, it was bright outside, with some glare in the cabin, and it may have been that the outside light made the indicator appear on when it wasn't.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MINOR SMA DAMAGE FROM GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG.

Narrative: IN APR/99, THE PIPER COMANCHE THAT I WAS PLTING HAD A COLLAPSED GEAR INCIDENT RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE PROP AND VERY LIMITED DAMAGE TO THE SKIN ON THE FRONT LOWER SIDE. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR LNDG, I LOWERED THE ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LNDG GEAR. SINCE THE RWY WAS 9500 FT, THE DSCNT TO LAND WAS NOT HURRIED. AT ABOUT THE POINT WHERE THE MAIN LNDG WHEELS SHOULD HAVE TOUCHED DOWN, THERE WAS A HESITATION IN THE DSCNT, BUT THEN THE DSCNT CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRFRAME TOUCHED GND. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO EITHER MYSELF OR PAX. UPON LATER EXAMINATION INSIDE THE CABIN, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE LNDG GEAR MOTOR HAD 'TRIPPED,' MOST LIKELY LEADING TO A SIT WHERE THE GEAR WERE MOSTLY DOWN, BUT NOT LOCKED. ON FINAL, I HAD NOTED THAT THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE PROPER POS, AND HAD THOUGHT THAT THE SINGLE GREEN LENS (FOR GEAR DOWN) WAS LIT. HOWEVER, IT WAS BRIGHT OUTSIDE, WITH SOME GLARE IN THE CABIN, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THE OUTSIDE LIGHT MADE THE INDICATOR APPEAR ON WHEN IT WASN'T.

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.