Piper PA-31-350 N159SW
27 September 2000 · Grand Junction, Colorado, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 27 September 2000 at about 15:59 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N159SW, operated by Western Aviators, Inc., was involved in an accident near Grand Junction, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:59
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Grand Junction, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Walker Field (GJT)
- Coordinates
- 39.1109, -108.5298
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N159SW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Western Aviators, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rifle → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA005
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Total failure of the right forward inboard landing gear door hinge pin for undetermined reasons.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The on-demand cargo flight had been uneventful until the pilot made his landing approach. When he lowered the landing gear, the right main landing gear failed to extend and lock. A low pass was made and tower personnel confirmed that the landing gear was not extended. The pilot followed emergency procedures in an attempt to extend the landing gear, but to no avail. He made an intentional gear up landing. Postaccident examination disclosed that the right forward inboard landing gear door hinge pin (p/n 46652-2) had broken, preventing the landing gear from extending.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Apr 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States | Patton Aviatin Inc,. | No injuries | - |
| 15 Aug 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Lumber City, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 5 Jun 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Kiowa, Colorado, United States | Key Lime Air, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 1 Jun 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Tanana, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 2000 | Piper PA-31-350 | Deadhorse, Alaska, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Piper PA-31-325 | Jeffersonville, Indiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2000 | Mooney M-20C | Boulder, Colorado, United States | Artell, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 30 Oct 2000 | Bell 206L-1 | Mesa Verde, Colorado, United States | U.s. Bureau of Reclamation | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2000 | Piper PA-44-180T | Englewood, Colorado, United States | Aspen Flying Club | No injuries | - |
| 8 Apr 2000 | Beechcraft A60 | Englewood, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Nov 2000 | Mooney M20J | Longmont, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2000 | Cessna 172N | Durango, Colorado, United States | - | No injuries | - |