DEN83LA035

1982-12-17 · CUT BANK, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CTB

Aircraft involved

CGKBJ Piper PA-28R-200 None

Factual narrative

THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE ENROUTE. ON ARRIVAL, THE PILOT SELECTED GEAR DOWN, HOWEVER IT WOULD NOT LOWER. HE MISIDENTIFIED THE OPERATION OF THE EMERGENCY GEAR DOWN SWITCH AND PUSHED IT UP INSTEAD OF DOWN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE MADE THE APPROACH WITH HIGH POWER AND ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS. THIS WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED THE AIRCRAFT'S AUTOMATIC GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM FROM FUNCTIONING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. DURING AN INVESTIGATION, AN ALTERNATOR OUT WIRE WAS FOUND BROKEN WHERE IT CONNECTED TO A TERMINAL LUG. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_DEN83LA035.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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