# NTSB CEN20CA212: Piper PA28R, N533K, Corpus Cristi, TX, June 4, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report - Date: June 4, 2020, 12:19 local (17:19 UTC) - Place: Corpus Cristi, TX - Coordinates: 27.772222, -97.502502 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7722&lon=-97.5025&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration; San Antonio FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 101389 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN20CA212 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101389/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101389 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA212 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to utilze the emergency landing gear extension procedure after a short-circuit within the normal landing gear system, which resulted in a landing gear collapse during landing. ## 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 · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: use of checklist](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030/cases.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 336 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030/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 collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot reported that during a visual approach for landing at the destination airport, the landing gear position indicator did not indicate that the landing gear was down and locked after it was selected down. The pilot reported he requested a fly by the air traffic control tower, which confirmed the landing gear was extended and cleared the airplane to land. During landing rollout, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane impacted the runway surface resulting in structural damage to the external longerons on the bottom of the fuselage. During recovery of the airplane, it was noted the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. The circuit breaker was reset, the master switch selected on, and the landing gear was lowered using the landing gear handle. A postaccident functional test of the landing gear using the normal and emergency extension procedures revealed the landing gear extended without incident. The pilot further reported that after maintenance personnel removed the cockpit multifunction displays, he found a piece of screw/nut on the contacts of the landing gear control handle behind the instrument panel, which most-likely created a short-circuit and caused the landing gear circuit breaker to pop. The pilot did not use the airplane's emergency landing gear extension procedure to extend the landing gear during the accident flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N533K](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N533K), registered now, S/N 28R-7703201, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA28R (201T) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28R-201T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201t) (registry code 7102813) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28R-7703201 - Year built: 1977 - Airframe hours: 2431 - Engines: Continental TSIO-360-F 201 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Pilot - Registered owner: Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 9, 2020 - Departed: 5C1, Boerne, TX - Destination: CRP, Corpus Cristi, TX - Airport: CRP, Corpus Christi International, runway 13, 7,510 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 19, 2020; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 308 total, 148 in this make and model, 232 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 130° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 5,500 ft broken - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 77 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: CRP ## 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 20200604009629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200604009629A), Jun 4, 2020: Piper PA-28R-201T, Corpus Christi, TX, Substantial damage. On 06/04/2020 at 1130 CDT, a Piper PA-28R-201T aircraft bearing registration number N533K, registered to the private owner, gear collapsed on runway during… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 10, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101389. 1.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 814 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40486793&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Record of Correspodence - FAA (item 2, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40486794&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Correspodence%20-%20FAA-Master.PDF - Photo of Wreckage (item 3, .PDF, 660 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40486795&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20of%20Wreckage-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.