| Crash location | 35.040277°N, 106.609167°W |
| Nearest city | Albuquerque, NM
35.084491°N, 106.651137°W 3.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N61RG |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 09 May 2002 |
| Aircraft type | Piper Aerostar 602P |
| Additional details: | None |
On May 9, 2002, approximately 1147 mountain daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 602P, twin-engine airplane, N61RG, landed wheels-up at the Albuquerque International Sunport Airport, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The airplane was owned and operated by Norris Aviation, LLC, of Goddard, Kansas under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and his three passengers were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. An instrument flight rules (IFR) plan was filed; however, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport. The flight departed Wichita, Kansas, approximately 0924.
The pilot and passengers reported that the airplane was on final approach to runway 3 (10,000 feet long and 150 feet wide) in turbulence and a "strong" crosswind. At about 300-400 feet agl, the left engine lost power. The pilot elected to performed a missed approach due to his inability to keep the airplane aligned with the runway with the loss of engine power and the prevailing crosswind conditions. The pilot performed the emergency procedures and selected the fuel cross feed position. The engine tried to restart; however, it did not restart.
The airplane was loosing altitude and the pilot feathered the propeller. Subsequently, the pilot retracted the flaps and the landing gear. By this time, the airplane was at a low altitude and the pilot delayed performing the landing gear extension procedure. The landing gear "did not lock in time." The airplane landed without the gear fully extended, and slid to a stop. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane.
The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, found structural damage extending along the lower fuselage skin and support structures from aft of the nose landing gear to forward of the aft baggage compartment. Torsional twisting on the right propeller blades was consistent with the right engine developing power when it contacted the runway; however, both propellers were found in the feather position at the accident site. The inner main gear doors, which stay open until the down locks are fully locked, were damaged, and the left one was found separated and laying under the airplane. The fiberglass of the left wing tip exhibited scrapes. The reason for the loss of power on the left engine was not determined.
At 1156, the Albuquerque weather observation facility, reported the wind from 140 degrees at 13 knots with gusts to 17 knots. Visibility was reported at 10 statute miles, with a temperature of 19 degrees Celsius ( 66 degrees Fahrenheit), and a dew point of -2 degrees Celsius ( 28 degrees Fahrenheit). The clouds were reported scattered at 25,000 feet, with the altimeter setting at 30.12 inches of Mercury.
The pilot's delayed extension of the main landing gear prior to the landing flare/touchdown, which resulted in a wheels-up landing. A contributing factor was the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.