# NTSB CEN12LA444: Piper PA-44-180, N580ND, Grand Forks, ND, July 15, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 14, 2012, 23:20 local (Jul 15, 2012, 04:20 UTC) - Place: Grand Forks, ND - Coordinates: 47.947223, -97.173889 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9472&lon=-97.1739&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 26, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Fargo FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 84324 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA444 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/84324/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84324 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA444 ## Probable cause The pilot receiving instruction's failure to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor his student's actions during the approach. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=7104402), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) - [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=7104402), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md) - [Attention/monitoring: task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520): Personnel issues › Psychological · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md?model=7104402), [All aircraft, 330 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-44-180, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=7104402), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot receiving instruction reported that during the downwind leg, after the flight instructor had simulated a single-engine failure of the twin-engine airplane, he began to fall behind on completing required checklist items, and, as result, he inadvertently forgot to extend the landing gear. He recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn while on the crosswind leg but reportedly was too distracted with flying the airplane to extend the landing gear at that point. He reported seeing sparks and hearing a grinding noise upon touchdown, at which time he also recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn. The flight instructor recalled that the airplane tail impacted the runway shortly after the pilot receiving instruction reduced engine power during the landing flare. The flight instructor noted that he heard the landing gear warning horn shortly after the airplane made contact with the runway. The airplane slid 200 to 300 feet on the lower fuselage before coming to a stop. A postaccident examination revealed that the landing gear selector handle was in the "UP" position. The landing gear extended normally into a down-and-locked position after the airplane was lifted off the ground and the landing gear selector handle was placed into the "DOWN" position. The operator reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally. ## Factual narrative On July 14, 2012, at 2320 central daylight time, a Piper model PA-44-180 airplane, N580ND, was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing at Grand Forks International Airport (KGFK), Grand Forks, North Dakota. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the University of North Dakota, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local instructional flight that originated from KGFK about 2200. The flight instructor reported that the accident occurred while the pilot receiving instruction was demonstrating a landing with a simulated single engine failure of the twin-engine airplane. He recalled that the airplane tail impacted the runway shortly after the pilot receiving instruction reduced engine power during the landing flare. The flight instructor noted that he heard the landing gear warning horn shortly after the airplane made contact with the runway. The airplane slid 200 to 300 feet on the lower fuselage before coming to a stop. The pilot receiving instruction reported that during downwind, after the flight instructor had simulated the single engine failure, he began to fall behind on completing required checklist items, and as result, he inadvertently forgot to extend the landing gear. He recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn while on crosswind, but reportedly was too distracted with flying the airplane to extend the landing gear at that point. He reported seeing sparks and hearing a grinding noise upon touchdown, at which time he also recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn. A postaccident examination revealed that the landing gear selector handle was in the "UP" position. The landing gear extended uneventfully into a down-and-locked position after the airplane was lifted off the ground and the landing gear selector handle was placed into the "DOWN" position. The operator reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally. Additionally, the operator stated that several lower fuselage structural components were damaged during the wheels-up landing. The pilot receiving instruction held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. He was not endorsed to act as pilot-in-command of a complex airplane. A complex airplane is equipped with a retractable landing gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. According to the operator, the pilot was receiving flight instruction towards a complex airplane endorsement in conjunction with the multi-engine training that he was receiving. He had accumulated 6 hours in a complex, multi-engine airplane when the accident occurred. At 2253, the airport's automatic weather observing station reported the following weather conditions: wind from 040 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, broken ceiling 25,000 feet,temperature 25 degrees Celsius, dew point 19 degrees Celsius, altimeter 29.99 inches of mercury. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N580ND](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N580ND), registered now, S/N 4496257, built 2008 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-44-180 - Registry model: [Piper PA-44-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (registry code 7104406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O-360-A1H6](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-a1h6) (registry code 42399, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 4496257 - Airframe hours: 2950 - Engines: Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 180 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming O-360-A1H6 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: University of North Dakota - Registered owner: University of North Dakota - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, July 13, 2012 - Departed: KGFK, Grand Forks, ND - Destination: KGFK, Grand Forks, ND - Airport: KGFK, Grand Forks International, runway 35L, 7,351 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 22; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 10, 2011; seat: right; flight hours: 766 total, 281 in this make and model, 664 as pilot in command, 149 in the last 90 days, 52 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 21; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review May 31, 2012; seat: left; flight hours: 221 total, 6 in this make and model, 36 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 40° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 66 °F - Altimeter: 29.98 inHg - Observed at: KGFK ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120714017399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120714017399A), Jul 14, 2012: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-44-180, Grand Forks, ND, Substantial damage. During instructional night flight student was conducting a simulated engine failure after take-off at 600 feet AGL. Flight instructor reduced throttle on one… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 14, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=84324. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 901 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375817&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Email Correspondence Concerning Postaccident Examination (item 2, .PDF, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375818&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Email%20Correspondence%20Concerning%20Postaccident%20Examination-Redacted.PDF - Email Correspondence Concerning Pilot Receiving Instruction (item 3, .PDF, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375821&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Email%20Correspondence%20Concerning%20Pilot%20Receiving%20Instruction-Redacted.PDF - Weather Reports (item 4, .PDF, 75 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375825&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.