# Accident 19990422019569A: Piper PA24180, Fernandina Beac, FL, April 22, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 22, 1999 - Place: Fernandina Beac, FL - Airport: Fernandina Beach Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 30.6494° N, 81.4408° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.6494&lon=-81.4408&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7059P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7059P) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24 (registry code 7102402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24) (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 PA24180 - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA138) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990422019569A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON APRIL 22, 1999, ABOUT 1925 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24-180, N7059P, REGISTERED TO MCGILL AIRCRAFT CORPORATION, WAS LANDED GEAR UP AT THE FERNANDINA BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, FERNANDINA BEACH, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE ST. MARY'S AIRPORT, ST. MARY'S, GEORGIA. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FLIGHT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ON A LEFT MIDFIELD DOWNWIND AT A 45-DEGREE ENTRY AND TURNED BASE THEN FINAL AND USED A "MENTAL" CHECKLIST BUT DID NOT USE THE PRINTED CHECKLIST IN HIS LAP. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED WITH THE GEAR UP AND HE REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN; HE WAS WEARING A HEADSET. THE AIRPLANE WAS RAISED AND WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND THE MASTER SWITCH IN THE "ON" POSITION, THE LANDING GEAR "UP" LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED AND THE THROTTLE AT A LOW POWER POSITION, THE GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED U SING THE NORMAL METHOD AND THE GEAR LOCKED INTO PLACE. (-23)PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AFTER A SHORT TEST FLIGHT. PILOT BECAME OCCUPIED WITH A LEAR JET DEPARTING AND FORGOT TO PUT THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. ## 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 MIA99LA138](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA138), Apr 22, 1999: Piper PA-24-180 (N7059P), Fernandina Bch, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to use the printed checklist which resulted in the gear-up landing. A factor associated with the accident was the intermittent failure of the gear warning horn. ## Other reports on N7059P (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20240116001979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240116001979A), Jan 16, 2024: Piper PA-24 (N7059P), Hugo, OK, Substantial damage. Pilot stated that after departure from when gear up was selected, gear started to retract then the circuit breaker popped, and retraction stopped. Pilot then… - [Incident 20120923022619I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120923022619I), Sep 23, 2012: Piper PA-24 (N7059P), Fernandina Beac, FL, Minor damage. The PIC made an intentional gear-up landing on closed rwy 36 after several unsuccessful attempts to fully extend the landing gear (the gear would only extend… - [Incident 20080125013489I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080125013489I), Jan 25, 2008: Piper PA24 (N7059P), Fernandina Bea, FL, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot stated that he was distracted talking to his passengers and forgot to extend the landing gear. - [Accident 19840426016209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19840426016209A), Apr 26, 1984: Piper PA24 (N7059P), Valdosta, GA, Substantial damage. Pilot forgot to lower landing gear during biennial flight review. 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.