20260714009329A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24 · Medford, OR · July 14, 2026

Date
July 14, 2026 · 17:21 local
Place
Medford, OR
Airport
Rogue Valley International - Medford
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5002P
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA279
Reported as
Piper PA-24
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total

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.

Aircraft departed mfr at approximately 2351Z on 7-14-26 with two pilots on board. One pilot was rated for the aircraft and the other held a private pilot certificate without the endorsement for a complex aircraft. The pilot stated that they were doing a familiarization flight before ferrying the aircraft to Texas. During the flight the pilot. After two touch and go landings, they noticed that when preparing for the third touch and go they did not have a gear down light. The pilot reported that they heard the gear go down, the motor stopped and they did not get a green gear down light they requested a fly-by so the tower could verify that the gear was down. The tower indicated that the gear was down and made the approach to land the aircraft on mfr runway 32. During the approach the green landing gear light started to flicker. At approximately 200 feet AGL on approach the green gear was on. Upon touch down the landing gear collapsed on roll out at approximately 07/15/2026 0021Z (07/14/2026 1721 local time). When the aircraft came to a complete stop, the pilot retracted the flaps to execute a safe exit from the aircraft. Pilots exited the aircraft with no reported injuries. The aircraft was on the active runway. The aircraft was pulled off the active runway using a tow strap around the propellor while still lying on the aircraft’s belly to the grass between the runway and taxi way. The aircraft was later moved to a hangar using a flatbed ramp truck. On 07/24/2026 the aircraft was lifted and put on jacks. It was determined that the engine mount was damaged as well as structural items on the belly due to the belly skins being abraded through.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED MFR AT APPROXIMATELY 2351Z ON 7-14-26 WITH TWO PILOTS ON BOARD. ONE PILOT WAS RATED FOR THE AIRCRAFT AND THE OTHER HELD A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITHOUT THE ENDORSEMENT FOR A COMPLEX AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY WERE DOING A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT BEFORE FERRYING THE AIRCRAFT TO TEXAS. DURING THE FLIGHT THE PILOT. AFTER TWO TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, THEY NOTICED THAT WHEN PREPARING FOR THE THIRD TOUCH AND GO THEY DID NOT HAVE A GEAR DOWN LIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THEY HEARD THE GEAR GO DOWN, THE MOTOR STOPPED AND THEY DID NOT GET A GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHT THEY REQUESTED A FLY-BY SO THE TOWER COULD VERIFY THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE TOWER INDICATED THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND MADE THE APPROACH TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON MFR RUNWAY 32. DURING THE APPROACH THE GREEN LANDING GEAR LIGHT STARTED TO FLICKER. AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL ON APPROACH THE GREEN GEAR WAS ON. UPON TOUCH DOWN THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED ON ROLL OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 07/15/2026 0021Z (07/14/2026 1721 LOCAL TIME). WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE PILOT RETRACTED THE FLAPS TO EXECUTE A SAFE EXIT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. PILOTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE ACTIVE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PULLED OFF THE ACTIVE RUNWAY USING A TOW STRAP AROUND THE PROPELLOR WHILE STILL LYING ON THE AIRCRAFT’S BELLY TO THE GRASS BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND TAXI WAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LATER MOVED TO A HANGAR USING A FLATBED RAMP TRUCK. ON 07/24/2026 THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED AND PUT ON JACKS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNT WAS DAMAGED AS WELL AS STRUCTURAL ITEMS ON THE BELLY DUE TO THE BELLY SKINS BEING ABRADED THROUGH.

NTSB investigation

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