- Date
- November 21, 2008, 13:34 local (18:34 UTC)
- Place
- Middletown, OH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3640DPiper Aerostar 6
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20081121854789A
- Case key
- 73199
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to verify that the landing gear was down and locked prior to landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after an uneventful flight, he entered the traffic pattern at the destination airport. He extended the landing gear as the airplane was crossing mid-field on downwind for runway 23 (6,100 feet by 100 feet, asphalt). There was a right quartering headwind for landing. The pilot noted that he was focused on maintaining airspeed and establishing the proper crosswind landing attitude. As a result, he failed to check the landing gear position lights in order to verify that the gear was down and locked. After landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the right main landing gear. The airplane skidded to the left and came to rest in the grassy area adjacent to the runway. The pilot noted that the cockpit landing gear lever provided resistance although it was not fully in the down position. He added that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that after an uneventful flight, he entered the traffic pattern at the destination airport. He extended the landing gear as the airplane was crossing mid-field on downwind for runway 23 (6,100 feet by 100 feet, asphalt). There was a right quartering headwind for landing. The pilot noted he was focused on maintaining airspeed and establishing the proper crosswind landing attitude. As a result, he failed to check the landing gear position lights in order to verify that the gear was down and locked. After landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the right main landing gear. The airplane skidded to the left and came to rest in the grass area adjacent to the runway. The pilot noted the cockpit landing gear lever provided resistance although it was not fully in the down position. He added that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3640D
- Reported as
- Piper Aerostar 6
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P08098063419
- Airframe hours
- 1,696
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 8, 2008
- Departed
- MRH · Beaufort, NC
- Destination
- MWO · Middletown, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MWO · Hook Field Municipal, runway 23, 6,100 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 12, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 720 total · 180 in this make and model · 675 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.47 inHg
- Observed at
- MWO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.