N5027T

On July 27, 1997, at approximately 0900 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N5027T, was substantially damaged during a hard landing, when its main landing gear was pushed up through the wing. The airplane was discovered with landing gear damage in a hangar by a FAA Inspector days after its last flight. The private pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The flight departed Warsaw, Indiana, exact time unknown.

According to the pilot's written statement, he rented N5027T on July 26, 1997 to fly to Warsaw and return. Upon climb out he experienced an unsafe gear indication and had to cycle the gear twice. The gear retracted and the pilot continued to Warsaw Airport. On climb out of Warsaw Airport the gear again gave an unsafe gear warning. The pilot tried to cycle the gear but was unable to retract it. The pilot talked to a mechanic about the problem while en route to Auburn Airport. The gear did retract en route. The pilot made two additional landings at De Kalb Airport. The pilot rented N5027T on July 27, 1997. The pilot made four touch and go landings with half of the landings having unsafe gear indications. The pilot continued to fly the airplane. The pilot wanted to rent N5027T on July 28, 1997, but when they pulled the airplane out of the hangar, they noticed that the right wing had damage around the gear area.

The fix base operator notified a Federal Aviation Administration Operations Inspector (POI), regarding the damage. The POI noticed a note left by the pilot with his number on it. The tach and hobbs meter matched this pilot's check out times. Examination of the airplane revealed, overload damage to the right main landing gear. The IIC asked the pilot over a telephone conversation why he continued to fly that airplane after experiencing unsafe gear problems he responded, "He didn't know why he kept on flying".