- Date
- March 29, 2011, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Kansas City, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8546PPiper PA-24-260
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110329006059A
- Case key
- 78819
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 extend the landing gear for a 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 reported that while inbound to the airport, he had a radio failure and he set up his transponder to indicate the loss of the radio. He received a light gun signal to land and proceeded to land. The pilot reported that he could not confirm that the gear was down. Witnesses at the airport saw the gear up landing. The airplane sustained substantial fuselage damage. The airplane was recovered from the runway and the landing gear operated normally.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was on a routine flight to the destination airport. He stated that he had a radio failure and he set up his transponder to indicate the loss of the radio. He received a light gun signal to land and proceeded to land the airplane. The pilot reported that he could not confirm that the gear was down. Witnesses saw the gear up landing. The airplane sustained substantial fuselage damage. The airplane was recovered from the runway and the landing gear operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8546P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4003
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 15, 2011
- Departed
- TOP · Topeka, KS
- Destination
- MKC · Kansas City, MO
- Airport
- MKC · Charles B. Wheeler Downtown, runway 03, 5,050 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 385 total · 18 in this make and model · 308 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- MCI
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8546P · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.