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20260417004029I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-260 · Raleigh, NC · April 17, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 17, 2026 · 14:38 local
Place
Raleigh, NC
Airport
Raleigh-Durham International
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9364P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-260
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,600 total
N9364PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-260S/N 24-4864 · Built 1969Airframe modelPiper PA-24-260Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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.

The aircraft, a 1969 Piper PA-24-260, departed from person county airport on Friday, April 17, at 12:13 EST with a single pilot/operator. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear. During this process, a loud pop was heard, and the gear malfunctioned, triggering the gear unsafe light indicator. The pilot attempted to perform an emergency gear extension but was unsuccessful.

The pilot then spent approximately two hours flying in the vicinity, trying various methods to extend the gear while carefully managing the aircraft and gradually reducing its fuel load. Ultimately, the pilot chose to land at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (krdu), where an emergency response team was available. The landing was executed at 1438 EST, with the gear retracted on runway 5R. The plane touched down smoothly, skidding only a short distance. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft with no injuries and described the landing as gentle, aiming to minimize the impact. The aircraft incurred minimal damage, with no indication of structural compromise.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT, A 1969 PIPER PA-24-260, DEPARTED FROM PERSON COUNTY AIRPORT ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17, AT 12:13 EST WITH A SINGLE PILOT/OPERATOR. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. DURING THIS PROCESS, A LOUD POP WAS HEARD, AND THE GEAR MALFUNCTIONED, TRIGGERING THE GEAR UNSAFE LIGHT INDICATOR.THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

THE PILOT THEN SPENT APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS FLYING IN THE VICINITY, TRYING VARIOUS METHODS TO EXTEND THE GEAR WHILE CAREFULLY MANAGING THE AIRCRAFT AND GRADUALLY REDUCING ITS FUEL LOAD. ULTIMATELY, THE PILOT CHOSE TO LAND AT RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KRDU), WHERE AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM WAS AVAILABLE. THE LANDING WAS EXECUTED AT 1438 EST, WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED ON RUNWAY 5R. THE PLANE TOUCHED DOWN SMOOTHLY, SKIDDING ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES AND DESCRIBED THE LANDING AS GENTLE, AIMING TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED MINIMAL DAMAGE, WITH NO INDICATION OF STRUCTURAL COMPROMISE.