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20260223001569A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Big Bear, CA · February 23, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 23, 2026 · 17:59 local
Place
Big Bear, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N811LE
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA107
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
N811LERegistered now · Piper PA-30S/N 30-1224 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On February 23, 2026 at 1759 PST a Piper PA-30 experienced a landing gear collapse during landing at Big Bear city airport (L35), it slid to a stop on the runway on the belly of the aircraft. There were two persons on board, one pilot and one passenger. There were no injuries. The aircraft aircraft experienced substantial damage to the belly and both propellers. The landing gear handle was in the down position upon examination. During aircraft recovery, the aircraft was hoisted off the ground and under the direction of the NTSB, the airport manager and pilot turned the master switch on, the landing gear handle was in the down position and the motor did not turn on. The landing gear circuit breaker was "popped", it was reset and the gear motor began to run but the landing gear did not move. The master switch was turned off and an emergency gear extension was performed during which the landing gear moved into the down and locked position. When the master switch was turned back on, the landing gear down and locked green light was illuminated. The gear was confirmed down and locked.

As the FAA filed it

ON FEBRUARY 23, 2026 AT 1759 PST A PIPER PA-30 EXPERIENCED A LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE DURING LANDING AT BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT (L35), IT SLID TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD, ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE BELLY AND BOTH PROPELLERS. THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION UPON EXAMINATION.DURING AIRCRAFT RECOVERY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOISTED OFF THE GROUND AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE NTSB, THE AIRPORT MANAGER AND PILOT TURNED THE MASTER SWITCH ON, THE LANDING GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION AND THE MOTOR DID NOT TURN ON. THE LANDING GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS "POPPED", IT WAS RESET AND THE GEAR MOTOR BEGAN TO RUN BUT THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT MOVE. THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF AND AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION WAS PERFORMED DURING WHICH THE LANDING GEAR MOVED INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION. WHEN THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED BACK ON, THE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED GREEN LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE GEAR WAS CONFIRMED DOWN AND LOCKED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR26LA107Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary reportBig Bear, CAOn February 23, 2026, at 1800 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-30, N811LE, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Big Bear, California. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a 14 Code of Federal…Feb 24, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N811LE · 1

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

Accident 19801014058279ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Destin, FLNose gear damaged from previous hard landing. Popped circuit breaker prior to full down. Failed to check gear down.Oct 14, 1980 · Substantial damage