# Incident 20241210017719I: Piper PA-34-200, Vero Beach, FL, December 10, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 10, 2024, 13:05 local time
- Place: Vero Beach, FL
- Airport: Vero Beach Regional Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: P39S
- Location: 27.6556° N, 80.4180° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VERO BEACH RGNL (VRB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6556&lon=-80.4180&mi=10
- Aircraft: N56686, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N56686) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,546 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241210017719I

## Narrative

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

ON DECEMBER 10, 2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 1147 EST, AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PIPER PA-34-200 DEPARTED VERO BEACH REGIONAL AIRPORT (VRB), VERO BEACH, FL, WITH AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD.  THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS INSTRUCTION IN COMMERCIAL MANUEVERS. THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED TWO SUCCESSFUL LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. AT APPROXIMATELY 1159 EST, WHILE RETRACTING THE LANDING GEAR AS PART OF THE TRAINING EXERCISE, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD. AT APPROXIMATELY 1216 EST, THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED BUT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWN-AND-LOCKED LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR LOOKED TO BE EXTENDED IN THE INSPECTION MIRROR. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FOLLOWED TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES. THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION PROCEDURE DID NOT RESULT IN FULL EXTENSION OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE INSTRUCTOR PERFORMED A LOW-PASS TO CONFIRM LANDING GEAR EXTENSION. FLIGHT OPERATIONS NOTIFIED THAT ALL THREE LANDING GEAR APPEARED TO BE EXTENDED. AT APPROXIMATELY 1258 EST, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND MOMENTS AFTER THE NOSE LANDING GEAR CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED, DAMAGING BOTH PROPELLERS. NO INJURIES TO THE INSTRUCTOR OR STUDENT AND NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY WAS REPORTED.

## Other reports on N56686 (2)

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

- [Incident 20190305000929I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190305000929I), Mar 5, 2019: Piper PA-34-200 (N56686), Melbourne, FL, Minor damage. On approach the instructor pilot moved the gear handle down and believed to have seen three green light. As the aircraft ready to land he thought that the…
- [Accident 19800624029199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800624029199A), Jun 24, 1980: Piper PA34200 (N56686), St Michaels, AK, Substantial damage. Left main gear broke off while landing on a rutted, muddy, gravel strip. Crosswind factor, water holes in runway.

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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