The pilot told investigators it was his first time landing at the airport in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin, and he was having difficulty locating it. Additionally, skydiving operations were in progress at the airport.
Due to the distractions, he did not complete the normal downwind checklist and forgot to lower the Piper PA-28R-180’s landing gear.
On final approach, another pilot announced he was on final for the opposite end of the Piper pilot’s intended runway. The other pilot made a short approach and cleared the runway by the time the Piper pilot was on a ½-mile final.
The Piper pilot did not visually confirm the status of the landing gear cockpit lights before landing. Upon hearing the warning horn for the landing gear, he immediately lowered the landing gear and tried to remain airborne until the landing gear fully locked down. The airplane touched down before the left and nose landing gear fully locked down.
The airplane departed the runway to the left and came to rest upright in the grass. During the runway excursion, the left wing hit a runway light, which resulted in substantial damage.
The pilot told investigators that he should have performed a go-around when the other pilot was landing and that the accident was a combination of fatigue, distractions, and coming into a strange airport for the first time.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distractions and his failure to conduct the Before Landing checklist.
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This July 2024 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Something that I commonly do when flying into an airport for the first time, after of course reading up on it, is to use ForeFlight’s ‘procedures’ in the flight plan to enter and fly the traffic pattern. One airport in particular that I fly to, at pattern altitude the runway cannot be seen on downwind due to a ridge and does not come into view until halfway thru base. I fly the pattern confidently and precisely using this feature.
There are many ways to get some familiarity with a new airport:
Flight Guide, AirNav, and any appropriate sectional chart come to mind. How about overflying the airport on a low approach?
No excuse for this.
A Shame……no one hurt ,but scratch another aircraft……We are wrecking them/faster then ever….
I looked up the airport. It’s “Fort Atkinson Municipal,” identifier “61C.” Runway is 3800 feet long, 60 feet wide, non-towered airport. As a pilot I wanna know all this stuff right up front. On the other hand, I kind of like looking up all this stuff. But still that should be right there in the middle of the first paragraph. And the weather, and did the Pilot turn the lights on for the runway, etc..
It happened at 1100 (so turning on lights was no factor) and it was after leaving AirVenture at KOSH. He took off at KOSH with only 17 gallons, which is why he was making the quick hop to 61C. Not sure where they were going, but the pilot was from Batavia, IL, which would put the “home” airport maybe at DuPage, KDPA). It would have only taken 11.5 gal to get to KDPA. Personally, I would not have taken off without fuel to make it back to IL plus reserves and the whole situation could have been avoided. With the numbers given, he could have had an additional 23 gallons on board at takeoff (putting him at max TOW), but KOSH has long runways for a PA-28. Maybe he got airborne and realized he needed fuel to make it back, but I guess then that owes to a better preflight. Or, he was inpatient on waiting for fuel at KOSH, KOSH had higher prices, etc, but I hardly think that completing another TO and landing (and resulting runway incursion) saved any time or money.