# Incident 20230702007509I: Piper PA-24-250, Durango, CO, July 2, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 2, 2023, 13:20 local time
- Place: Durango, CO
- Airport: Animas Air Park
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.2049° N, 107.8690° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.2049&lon=-107.8690&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7525P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7525P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 28,000 total, 230 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA274) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230702007509I

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 2, 2023, THE PILOT OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON VACATION, FLYING FROM DENVER TO ANIMAS AIR PARK (00C) FOR THE FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP.  THE PILOT STATED HE COMPLETED THE BEFORE LANDING CHECKLIST, AND HAD THE AIRCRAFT CONFIGURED FOR LANDING.  UPON LANDING, HE FIRST NOTED A COUPLE OF SOUNDS THINKING THE PROPELLER MUST HAVE PICKED UP A COUPLE ROCKS ON THE RUNWAY, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND, THOUGH UNKNOWINGLY THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN.  HE STATED HE THOUGHT HE SAW THE GEAR LIGHTS ON, INDICATING THE GEAR WAS DOWN.

THE GEAR SWITCH IS A THREE POSITION DEVICE, UP, OFF, AND DOWN.  WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED UP AFTER LANDING, THE PILOT STATED HE PLACED THE GEAR SWITCH INTO THE DOWN POSITION, HEARING THE HYDRAULIC PUMP, AND THE GEAR LOWERED AND LOCKED INTO PLACE.  THE PILOT ALSO STATED HE THOUGHT THE GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION (CENTER POSITION) WHEN LOWERING THE GEAR.  THIS INDICATED HE MAY HAVE MISSED THE AFTER TAKEOFF CHECKLIST STEP TO PLACE THE LANDING GEAR IN THE OFF POSITION, SO WHEN LOWERING THE GEAR FOR LANDING IT WAS MOVED TO THE OFF POSITION RATHER THAN THE DOWN POSITION.

TWO WEEKS EARLIER, HE HAD GEAR PROBLEMS.  AT THAT TIME, HE WAS ABLE TO VERIFY WITH A TOWER OPERATOR THE GEAR WAS DOWN, THOUGH THE AMBER GEAR LIGHTS WERE ON FOR THAT OCCASION.  MAINTENANCE FOUND A BROKEN WIRE IN THE WHEEL WELL, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM, AND FLIGHT TESTING CHECKED SATISFACTORY.

THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING NOISE-CANCELLING HEADSETS, AND DON’T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN’T HEAR THE GEAR WARNING HORN WHEN REDUCING POWER TO 15 INCHES OF MANIFOLD WITHOUT THE 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 CEN23LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA274), Jul 2, 2023: Piper PA-24-250 (N7525P), Durango, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.

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.