# Accident 19990611021749A: Piper PA24180, Ft Myers, FL, June 11, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 11, 1999, 09:44 local time - Place: Ft Myers, FL - Airport: Page Field - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.6201° N, 81.8797° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6201&lon=-81.8797&mi=10 - Aircraft: N5238P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5238P-2023-11-27) (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 - Reported engine: LYC O360A1A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,200 total, 850 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA175) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990611021749A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 11, 1999, ABOUT 0944 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N5238P, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT MADE A GEAR-UP LANDING AT FORT MYERS PAGE FIELD, FL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND A PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1 HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD A GREEN LIGHT INDICATING HIS LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. ACCORDING TO FAA PERSONNEL IN THE FORT MYERS CONTROL TOWER, THEY CAN REMEMBER THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN THE RECENT PAST THAT THEY HAD TO REMIND THE PILOT OF N5238P TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR FOR LANDING. (.4) ON JUNE 11, 1999, ABOUT 0944 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N5238P, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, MADE A GEAR-UP LANDING AT PAGE FIELD, FORT MYERS, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PUNTA GORDA, FLORIDA ABOUT 19 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 13 AT PAGE FIELD, HE SELECTED THE LANDING GEAR CONTROL TO THE DOWN POSITION AND, "I BELIEVE I SAW A GREEN LIGHT FOR THE GEAR AND CONTINUED THE LANDING AS PER USUAL". ACCORDING TO FAA PERSONNEL IN THE FORT MYERS CONTROL TOWER, THEY, (AT LEAST THREE OF US) CAN REMEMBER THREE OR FOUR TIMES IN THE RECENT PAST THAT THEY HAD TO REMIND THE PILOT OF N5238P TO EXTEND HIS WHEELS FOR LANDING. ACCORDING TO THE FORT MYERS CONTROL TOWER CHIEF, A PLAYBACK OF THE TOWER AUDIO TAPES OF RADIO COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN TOWER PERSONNEL AND N5238P REVEALED THAT SOMETIME DURING OR SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, N5238P TRANSMITTED, "I JUST MADE A GEAR UP". THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO A FIXED-BASE OPERATOR ON THE FIELD AND EXAMINED BY AN FAA CERTIFIED MECHANIC. AFTER RESETTING A CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE LANDING GEAR OPERATING MOTOR, THE GEAR WERE CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES SATISFACTORILY. IT WAS UNKNOWN BY THE A&P MECHANIC HOW LONG THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN TRIPPED. THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM IS EQUIPPED WITH A LARGE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE IN THE COCKPIT THAT CAN BE USED AS A BACKUP GEAR POSITION INDICATOR BY OBSERVING ITS ACTION. THE LANDING GEAR DOWN GREEN LIGHT INDICATED NORMALLY AND THE HANDLE FOLLOWED THE EXTENSION/RETRACTION CYCLE NORMALLY. (-23)LANDED GEAR-UP FMY. ## 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 MIA99LA175](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA175), Jun 11, 1999: Piper PA-24 (N5238P), Fort Myers, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to verify that the retractable landing gear were down and locked for landing. ## Other reports on N5238P (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20000706034599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000706034599I), Jul 6, 2000: Piper PA24 (N5238P), Fort Worth, TX, Minor damage. (-23)Pilot stated that he had to carry power throughout the approach thereby silencing the gear horn. When he did reduce the power the gear horn did sound but… 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.