# Accident 20080226012099A: Piper PA44180, Gila Bend, AZ, February 26, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 26, 2008, 17:00 local time
- Place: Gila Bend, AZ
- Airport: Gila Bend Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Touch And Go Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.9603° N, 112.6736° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9603&lon=-112.6736&mi=10
- Aircraft: N318PA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N318PA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360 series (registry code 41575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA44180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,182 total, 241 in this make and model, 211 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX08CA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA067) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080226012099A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

## 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 LAX08CA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08CA067), Feb 27, 2008: Piper PA-44-180 (N318PA), Gila Bend, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight crew's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing roll, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.

## Other reports on N318PA (1)

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

- [Incident 20180216002659I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180216002659I), Feb 16, 2018: Piper PA-44-180 (N318PA), Phoenix, AZ, Minor damage. While performing short field takeoff with student pilot, instructor pulled left engine mixture to simulate an engine loss at approximately 25KTS. As aircraft…

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.

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