Unander VELOCITY 173RG N278GJ

Summary

On 6 March 2002 at about 01:55 local time, a Unander VELOCITY 173RG registered N278GJ was involved in an accident near West Jordan, Utah, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

6 March 2002 at 01:55

Classification

Accident

Location

West Jordan, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Salt Lake City Municipal 2 (U42)

Coordinates

40.6194, -111.9928

Aircraft

Unander VELOCITY 173RG

Registration

N278GJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wendover → West Jordan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA02LA050

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to ensure that the gear was extended prior to landing. Factors included a failure of a hydraulic down-pressure switch, and the pilot's attention diverted to another aircraft executing an opposite-direction traffic pattern.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was attempting a landing after dark on runway 16 at the non-towered airport. The accident pilot reported that as he was turning base for runway 16, another aircraft (registration number not reported or determined), which he had passed on the way into Salt Lake #2 Airport, announced that he was entering downwind for runway 34. The pilot reported that he attempted to talk to the pilot of the other aircraft on the radio, but got no response. The pilot stated that he put the gear switch down, but forgot to check for three green lights since his attention was diverted to the other aircraft. The pilot stated that he saw the other aircraft turning final as he (the accident pilot) was about to flare. The pilot reported that he then attempted to initiate a go-around, but the aircraft's propeller struck the runway and the engine stopped. The aircraft touched down on the sod on the side of the runway and subsequently struck an object on the ground and slid partially back onto the runway. The pilot stated that the other aircraft subsequently landed on runway 34 and went past the accident aircraft. An FAA inspector who was at the airport at the time reported that the landing gear handle was in the "down" position at the accident scene, but that the gear appeared to have never come out of the wells. The pilot of the other aircraft was not identified to the NTSB, and was not contacted. The pilot reported that a hydraulic down pressure switch had failed, disabling normal landing gear extension.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.