How many in that Navajo?

[Pilot DAR]

The CBC is reporting:

CBC News - Manitoba - Belly landing in Manitoba ruins plane (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/01/09/mb-ont-bloodvein-belly-land-plane.html)

Which includes the detail:

"including the pilot and passengers — nine adults and four children "

In an aircraft whose FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet decribes it as being limited to eight occupants total?

Sounds like something more than just a wheels up landing deserves investigation....

[ab33t]

That must be why its on its belly , over fill

[rotornut]

As reported in the Calgary Herald.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Pilot+suspended+after+forgetting+lower+landing+gear+Manitoba/2426173/story.html

"Pascal was aboard a Piper Navajo Chiefton (sic) with 12 other passengers..."

[Rosbif]

If each of the 6 seats had an "alleged infant" sitting on their lap, you could do it! Used to see a lot of that going on in "the islands mon". Maybe they do it in Manitoba too.!)

[ajet32]

Piper Chieftan Pa31-350 has 10 seats. One pilot and 9 passengers. Or 2 pilots and 8 passengers. Used to fly one in Northern Saskatchewan often had all 10 plus several infants. Not saying it was smart but it was legal if the weight worked. I seem to remember that there was no Zero fuel weight. Short trips it could be done.

[saudipc-9]

RCMP confirmed the pilot failed to deploy the landing gear and was forced to make a belly landing.

Umm yes he was "Forced" to make a belly landing--reporting at its finest:D

[Willie Everlearn]

...just thinking out loud on this one...

If the pilot made a number of attempts to extend the landing gear (normally, by gravity or manually) and those attempts were unsuccessful, what would he be FORCED to do?

a) do nothing
b) ask someone on the frequency if they had any ideas
c) have one of the passengers try to get the gear down, or
d) land with the gear up before he ran out of fuel

just wondering.

Willie :ok: