- Date
- July 27, 2014, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2148JPiper PA 28RT-201T
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 23, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20140727012939A
- Case key
- 90008
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 landing gear’s failure to extend for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
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
While on a visual departure, the pilot noted that the red landing gear unsafe light was illuminated after he retracted the landing gear. The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear using emergency extension procedures, but the green right main landing gear light did not illuminate. The pilot contacted a tower air traffic controller at an en route airport to request a visual report on the landing gear. The tower controller reported that the landing gear appeared to be down. The pilot then proceeded to the destination airport to land. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. Following the accident, a mechanic replaced the landing gear hydraulic pump, solenoids, and springs. After these components were replaced, the landing gear operated normally during ground testing. The maintenance actions were performed before investigators examined the landing gear.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 2014, about 1830 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T airplane, N2148J, was substantially damaged during landing rollout at Ellington Airport (EFD), Houston, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the flight, which departed without a flight plan from La Porte Municipal Airport (T41), La Porte, Texas about 1715. While departing from T41, the pilot noted the landing gear unsafe light (red) was illuminated after retracting the landing gear. After extending the landing gear using emergency extension procedures, the right main landing gear light (green) did not illuminate. The pilot accomplished a low approach and received a visual report of his landing gear condition from tower personnel at Scholes Airport (GLS), Galveston, Texas, who informed him the landing gear appeared to be down. The pilot proceeded from GLS to EFD for landing. During rollout at EFD, the right main landing gear collapsed, damaging the right aileron. Following the accident, a mechanic replaced the landing gear hydraulic pump, solenoids, and springs. After these components were replaced, the landing gear operated normally during ground testing. These maintenance actions were performed without the awareness or approval of the Federal Aviation Administration inspector conducting the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2148J
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28RT-201T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7931012
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,687
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stockstill Frank T
- Registered owner
- Stockstill Frank T
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2013
- Departed
- T41 · La Porte, TX
- Destination
- KELD · Houston, TX
- Airport
- KELD · Ellington Airport, runway 17R, 9,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 227 total · 158 in this make and model · 159 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KEFD
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 12, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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 N2148J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.