What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 8, 2026, at approximately 14:41 EST the pilot in command (PIC) was flying a Piper comanche, registration number privacy data omitted for skill training after several weeks of poor weather conditions. Seizing the opportunity, the PIC embarked on a brief flight near the home base at James Clements airport in Bay City, Michigan. The weather was ideal, with light winds around 5 knots aligned with runway 18. The objective was to practice traffic pattern approaches and landings, given the pic's role as a designated pilot examiner (DPE) and observations of common weaknesses in these areas among applicants.
With winds coming almost directly from the south, the PIC opted for patterns and landings on runway 18. The PIC conducted full stop landings and taxi-backs, as touch-and-go landings are not advocated for less experienced pilots or students. The first two patterns and landings were nearly perfect, despite the time elapsed since the last flights. On this day, the conditions were ideal for practice on runway 18. The PIC aimed to land 30 to 50 feet from the approach end of the runway, selecting the 30-foot target due to the light winds. Familiarity with James Clements airport (3CM) and runway 18 allowed the PIC to decelerate the aircraft effectively for a turn-off just past the intersection of runways 05/23 and 18/36. However, the third landing did not proceed as smoothly. The approach was normal, with air speed and power settings similar to the previous landings. After touchdown, the aircraft began to pull to the right, and the PIC struggled to maintain control, and the aircraft was not slowing down. The PIC could not determine with any certainty if the single green landing gear down and locked indicator in the cockpit was illuminated. The airspeed and controls felt comparable to earlier landings, but significant left rudder pressure was required. This caused the aircraft to face nearly perpendicular to the runway on the west side, resulting in the nosewheel collapsing and damaging the three-blade propeller. Approximately four hours later, when the aircraft was hoisted up, it was discovered that the landing gear had not descended, and the PIC noticed the landing gear circuit breaker was tripped. Under battery power, the PIC reset the circuit breaker, and the landing gear lowered and locked, with the green down and locked indicator illuminated. The aircraft was then moved to the local hangar at 3CM.the aircraft had sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, extending from the nose gear bay to just behind the main landing gear. All lower antennas and beacon lights were missing, and the fuselage skin was worn through, affecting the fuselage structure. No damage was noted to the nose and main landing gear. An inspection of the engine, engine mounts, and firewall revealed no damage. The propeller exhibited strike marks on all three blades. Control surface continuity was confirmed. A review of the airframe, propeller, and engine logbooks indicated that maintenance was current, and all applicable and recurring airworthiness directives (ADS) had been complied with.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 8, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:41 EST THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS FLYING A PIPER COMANCHE, REGISTRATION NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR SKILL TRAINING AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS. SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITY, THE PIC EMBARKED ON A BRIEF FLIGHT NEAR THE HOME BASE AT JAMES CLEMENTS AIRPORT IN BAY CITY, MICHIGAN. THE WEATHER WAS IDEAL, WITH LIGHT WINDS AROUND 5 KNOTS ALIGNED WITH RUNWAY 18. THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO PRACTICE TRAFFIC PATTERN APPROACHES AND LANDINGS, GIVEN THE PIC'S ROLE AS A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE) AND OBSERVATIONS OF COMMON WEAKNESSES IN THESE AREAS AMONG APPLICANTS.
WITH WINDS COMING ALMOST DIRECTLY FROM THE SOUTH, THE PIC OPTED FOR PATTERNS AND LANDINGS ON RUNWAY 18. THE PIC CONDUCTED FULL STOP LANDINGS AND TAXI-BACKS, AS TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS ARE NOT ADVOCATED FOR LESS EXPERIENCED PILOTS OR STUDENTS. THE FIRST TWO PATTERNS AND LANDINGS WERE NEARLY PERFECT, DESPITE THE TIME ELAPSED SINCE THE LAST FLIGHTS. ON THIS DAY, THE CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL FOR PRACTICE ON RUNWAY 18. THE PIC AIMED TO LAND 30 TO 50 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, SELECTING THE 30-FOOT TARGET DUE TO THE LIGHT WINDS. FAMILIARITY WITH JAMES CLEMENTS AIRPORT (3CM) AND RUNWAY 18 ALLOWED THE PIC TO DECELERATE THE AIRCRAFT EFFECTIVELY FOR A TURN-OFF JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION OF RUNWAYS 05/23 AND 18/36. HOWEVER, THE THIRD LANDING DID NOT PROCEED AS SMOOTHLY. THE APPROACH WAS NORMAL, WITH AIR SPEED AND POWER SETTINGS SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS LANDINGS. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT, AND THE PIC STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. THE PIC COULD NOT DETERMINE WITH ANY CERTAINTY IF THE SINGLE GREEN LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR IN THE COCKPIT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIRSPEED AND CONTROLS FELT COMPARABLE TO EARLIER LANDINGS, BUT SIGNIFICANT LEFT RUDDER PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FACE NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY ON THE WEST SIDE, RESULTING IN THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSING AND DAMAGING THE THREE-BLADE PROPELLER. APPROXIMATELY FOUR HOURS LATER, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOISTED UP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LANDING GEAR HAD NOT DESCENDED, AND THE PIC NOTICED THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS TRIPPED. UNDER BATTERY POWER, THE PIC RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER, AND THE LANDING GEAR LOWERED AND LOCKED, WITH THE GREEN DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN MOVED TO THE LOCAL HANGAR AT 3CM.THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, EXTENDING FROM THE NOSE GEAR BAY TO JUST BEHIND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. ALL LOWER ANTENNAS AND BEACON LIGHTS WERE MISSING, AND THE FUSELAGE SKIN WAS WORN THROUGH, AFFECTING THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE. NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE NOSE AND MAIN LANDING GEAR. AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, ENGINE MOUNTS, AND FIREWALL REVEALED NO DAMAGE. THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED STRIKE MARKS ON ALL THREE BLADES. CONTROL SURFACE CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED. A REVIEW OF THE AIRFRAME, PROPELLER, AND ENGINE LOGBOOKS INDICATED THAT MAINTENANCE WAS CURRENT, AND ALL APPLICABLE AND RECURRING AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES (ADS) HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.