# Accident 19980918025479A: Piper PA44180, Titusville, FL, September 18, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 18, 1998 - Place: Titusville, FL - Airport: Space Center Executive Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 28.5792° N, 80.8207° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5792&lon=-80.8207&mi=10 - Aircraft: N39776, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N39776-2018-03-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA44180 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA248) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980918025479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT LANDED, THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE ACFT SLID OFF OF RWY 18.(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1998, ABOUT 0831 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-44-180, N39776, REGISTERED TO DISCOVERY AVIATION CENTER, INC., EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ON LANDING AT THE SPACE COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT, TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAME AIRPORT ABOUT 15 MINUTES EARLIER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INTENDED ON REMAINING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND ON THE DOWNWIND LEG WHEN HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE, THE THREE DOWN-AND-LOCKED LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE. HE FLEW PAST THE TOWER AND WAS ADVISED THAT ALL GEARS APPEARED TO BE DOWN AND LOCKED. HE THEN CYCLED THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE, WITH NO INDICATION OF THE GEARS BEING DOWN AND LOCKED. HE THEN PRESSED TO TEST THE LIGHTS, BUT THEY DID NOT ILLUMINATE AND LANDED THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BEGAN COLLAPSING. THE AIRPLANE THEN YAWED TO THE LEFT, CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO LOCK IN POSITION AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT LANDED RUNWAY 18 AT TIX, THE LEFT GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED DOWN. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT SIDE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA98LA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA248), Sep 18, 1998: Piper PA-44-180 (N39776), Titusville, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collapse of the right main landing gear for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to execute the emergency gear extension procedure. ## Other reports on N39776 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19901112049729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19901112049729A), Nov 12, 1990: Piper PA44180 (N39776), Prescott, AZ, Substantial damage. Right main landing gear trunion attach fitting broke landing. Went around, burned off fuel and landed gear up. - [Incident 19900621047399I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900621047399I), Jun 21, 1990: Piper PA44180 (N39776), Cottonwood, AZ, Minor damage. Almost landed gear up. Go-around made as propeller tips struck runway. Landed safely on second try. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.