# Incident 20260417004029I: Piper PA-24-260, Raleigh, NC, April 17, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 17, 2026, 14:38 local time
- Place: Raleigh, NC
- Airport: Raleigh-Durham International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.8776° N, 78.7875° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at RALEIGH-DURHAM INTL (RDU), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8776&lon=-78.7875&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9364P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9364P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-260 (registry code 7102406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-260
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,600 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260417004029I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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