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20080226012099A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-44-180 · Gila Bend, AZ · February 26, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 26, 2008 · 17:00 local
Place
Gila Bend, AZ
Airport
Gila Bend Municipal
Phase of flight
Touch And Go Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N318PA
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX08CA067
Reported as
Piper PA44180
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,182 total241 in this make and model211 in the last 90 days
N318PARegistered now · Piper PA-44-180S/N 4496134 · Built 2002Airframe modelPiper PA-44-180Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On February 26, 2008, at approximately 1700 MST, N318PA, a Piper PA44-180, experienced a main gear collapse during a touch and go landing at Gila Bend airport (E63). The aircraft was being operated by pan am international flight academy out of phoenix deer valley airport (dvt). The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student (private) pilot were on a cross country flight from dvt to blythe, California, with a planned diversion to E63 to do some touch and go landings. The CFI and student indicated during interviews that the student was on the controls as the aircraft was being landed on runway 4 at Gila Bend airport. During the rollout and power-up, the CFI stated "I have got your flaps" and shortly thereafter the right main gear collapsed, the aircraft slid off the right side of the runway, struck a berm and then came to a stop upright. Neither of the two occupants were injured. Both pilots stated that they had confirmed that the gear was down on final approach. Both pilots stated that after egressing the aircraft, it was noted that the gear handle was in the "up" position. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the ailerons, rudder, tail cone, aircraft belly, right main spar and propellers.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 26, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 1700 MST, N318PA, A PIPER PA44-180, EXPERIENCED A MAIN GEAR COLLAPSE DURING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AT GILA BEND AIRPORT (E63). THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY PAN AM INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ACADEMY OUT OF PHOENIX DEER VALLEY AIRPORT (DVT). THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) AND STUDENT (PRIVATE) PILOT WERE ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM DVT TO BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA, WITH A PLANNED DIVERSION TO E63 TO DO SOME TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. THE CFI AND STUDENT INDICATED DURING INTERVIEWS THAT THE STUDENT WAS ON THE CONTROLS AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING LANDED ON RUNWAY 4 AT GILA BEND AIRPORT. DURING THE ROLLOUT AND POWER-UP, THE CFI STATED "I HAVE GOT YOUR FLAPS" AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, STRUCK A BERM AND THEN CAME TO A STOP UPRIGHT. NEITHER OF THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE INJURED. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THEY HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN ON FINAL APPROACH. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT AFTER EGRESSING THE AIRCRAFT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE "UP" POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AILERONS, RUDDER, TAIL CONE, AIRCRAFT BELLY, RIGHT MAIN SPAR AND PROPELLERS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX08CA067Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportGila Bend, AZThe flight crew's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.Feb 27, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N318PA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20180216002659ITakeoff: Departure Roll · Phoenix, AZWhile performing short field takeoff with student pilot, instructor pulled left engine mixture to simulate an engine loss at approximately 25KTS. As aircraft veered to the left, student pulled throttles to idle and returned aircraft to centerline. Following…Feb 16, 2018 · Minor damage