Narrative:

A photographer and myself departed pih at approximately XA00Z. Our mission was 20-30 aerial photo sites near the idaho- wyoming border, approximately 90 NM east of pih. 20 NM east of pih, I noticed fuel leaking out of the left inboard fuel tank, near the filler cap. I chose to land as soon as practical to check the problem. The closest airport with enough runway to land the aztec (pa23t250) happened to be tigert, soda springs (U78), about 15 NM east of our position. After configuring the airplane for descent, completing checklists, and transmitting over unicom (122.8) of our intentions, I chose runway 16 because of wind direction and speed. On short final the aircraft was in a stabilized, power-on approach in the normal landing confign on glide path, when suddenly we heard a loud noise and the airplane became almost uncontrollable. Our landing gear had clipped a semi truck as we were almost in the landing flare. I made a go around and headed back to pih and reported our problem and advised tower we would have to perform a gear up landing after circling the airport for a little over 2 hours to burn remaining fuel. The gear up landing was uneventful, and passenger and myself walked away without a scratch. After speaking with the FAA, I am still unaware if this is considered an incident or accident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is considered an incident. The damage was to the gear only, with the left main gear gone when they struck the truck, the right gear was bent and the nose gear was ok. On the return to pih and from conversation with tower, they decided to land in a designated area adjacent to the runway in a dirt area. The additional damage was confined to the belly skin. Reporter believes the nose up attitude on the approach is the reason he was unable to see the truck. The roadway is about 300 ft from the landing threshold. He wishes he had returned immediately to pih. Reporter will be required to take a 609 ride with an FAA inspector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AZTEC PA23T250 PLT RPT REGARDING A FUEL LEAK FROM THE L INBOARD FUEL TANK AT THE FILLER CAP. DECIDING TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL TO CHK THE SIT HE MADE AN APCH TO A NON TWR ARPT AND HIS WHEELS HIT A TRUCK ON A ROADWAY. WITH DAMAGED GEAR HE THEN RETURNED TO HOME ARPT AND LANDED ADJACENT TO THE RWY ON THE DIRT. NO INJURIES.

Narrative: A PHOTOGRAPHER AND MYSELF DEPARTED PIH AT APPROX XA00Z. OUR MISSION WAS 20-30 AERIAL PHOTO SITES NEAR THE IDAHO- WYOMING BORDER, APPROX 90 NM E OF PIH. 20 NM E OF PIH, I NOTICED FUEL LEAKING OUT OF THE L INBOARD FUEL TANK, NEAR THE FILLER CAP. I CHOSE TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICAL TO CHK THE PROB. THE CLOSEST ARPT WITH ENOUGH RWY TO LAND THE AZTEC (PA23T250) HAPPENED TO BE TIGERT, SODA SPRINGS (U78), ABOUT 15 NM E OF OUR POS. AFTER CONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE FOR DSCNT, COMPLETING CHKLISTS, AND XMITTING OVER UNICOM (122.8) OF OUR INTENTIONS, I CHOSE RWY 16 BECAUSE OF WIND DIRECTION AND SPD. ON SHORT FINAL THE ACFT WAS IN A STABILIZED, PWR-ON APCH IN THE NORMAL LNDG CONFIGN ON GLIDE PATH, WHEN SUDDENLY WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE AIRPLANE BECAME ALMOST UNCTLABLE. OUR LNDG GEAR HAD CLIPPED A SEMI TRUCK AS WE WERE ALMOST IN THE LNDG FLARE. I MADE A GAR AND HEADED BACK TO PIH AND RPTED OUR PROB AND ADVISED TWR WE WOULD HAVE TO PERFORM A GEAR UP LNDG AFTER CIRCLING THE ARPT FOR A LITTLE OVER 2 HRS TO BURN REMAINING FUEL. THE GEAR UP LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND PAX AND MYSELF WALKED AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FAA, I AM STILL UNAWARE IF THIS IS CONSIDERED AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS CONSIDERED AN INCIDENT. THE DAMAGE WAS TO THE GEAR ONLY, WITH THE L MAIN GEAR GONE WHEN THEY STRUCK THE TRUCK, THE R GEAR WAS BENT AND THE NOSE GEAR WAS OK. ON THE RETURN TO PIH AND FROM CONVERSATION WITH TWR, THEY DECIDED TO LAND IN A DESIGNATED AREA ADJACENT TO THE RWY IN A DIRT AREA. THE ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS CONFINED TO THE BELLY SKIN. RPTR BELIEVES THE NOSE UP ATTITUDE ON THE APCH IS THE REASON HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE TRUCK. THE ROADWAY IS ABOUT 300 FT FROM THE LNDG THRESHOLD. HE WISHES HE HAD RETURNED IMMEDIATELY TO PIH. RPTR WILL BE REQUIRED TO TAKE A 609 RIDE WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.