# Accident 20240808012799A: Piper PA-30, Concord, CA, August 8, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 8, 2024, 19:59 local time
- Place: Concord, CA
- Airport: Buchanan Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.9897° N, 122.0569° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.9897&lon=-122.0569&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8458Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8458Y) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 6,300 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR24LA275](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA275) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240808012799A

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 8, 2024, AT ABOUT 1959 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-30 AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT (CCR), CONCORD, CALIFORNIA. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE TOWER CONTROLLER AT CCR TOLD HIM TO REPORT A "2 MILE RIGHT BASE FOR RUNWAY 32R." HE NOTIFIED THE TOWER THAT HE WAS ON A "3 MILE RIGHT BASE" AND THEN EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR. AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE TO LAND FROM THE TOWER CONTROLLER, HE MADE THE TURN FOR FINAL APPROACH AND COMPLETED A GUM PS CHECK, AT WHICH TIME HE NOTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION WHILE THE CORRESPONDING ANNUNCIATOR SHOWED THE GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RECYCLE THE LANDING GEAR, BUT THE LANDING GEAR ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT STILL INDICATED THE GEAR WAS UP AND LOCKED. DURING THIS TIME, THE PILOT CONTINUED TO CIRCLE THE FIELD ABOVE TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE WHILE HE RECYCLED THE GEAR MULTIPLE TIMES AND TRIED TO SHAKE THE GEAR LOOSE BY TURNING ABRUPTLY. AFTER THESE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS, A MECHANIC AND THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRPLANE WERE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE TOWER TO HELP TROUBLESHOOT THE FAILURE. AT THEIR SUGGESTION, THE PILOT RAISED THE JACKSCREW LOCK TO MANUALLY RELEASE THE LANDING GEAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER ATTEMPTING SEVERAL ADDITIONAL MANEUVERS (ROLLING, CLIMBING, DIVING) TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR, THE TOWER CONTROLLER NOTED THAT THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN AND ASKED IF HE WANTED TO CONTINUE. THE PILOT DECIDED THAT HE SHOULD LAND AS HE WAS MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY WORN OUT BY HIS EFFORT. THE TOWER CONTROLLER CLEARED THE PILOT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 19R AND AFTER ONE MORE LOW PASS, THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON THE PARTIALLY EXTENDED LANDING GEAR. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP, WHICH RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE.

## 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 WPR24LA275](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24LA275), Aug 9, 2024: Piper PA-30 (N8458Y), Concord, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the main landing gear to extend and lock for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. Contributing to the accident was a mechanical failure of the…

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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