# NTSB CEN22LA102: Piper PA-24-250, N5844P, Grand Forks, ND, January 2, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: January 2, 2022, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC) - Place: Grand Forks, ND - Coordinates: 47.947278, -97.173778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9473&lon=-97.1738&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards - NTSB case key (mKey): 104535 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA102 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104535/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104535 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA102 ## Probable cause Failure of the landing gear to properly extend before landing for reasons that could not be determined. ## 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-24-250, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-24-250, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7102404), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the landing gear did not extend properly as he approached the intended destination airport. His attempts to extend the landing gear manually were not successful, and he decided to divert to a tower-controlled airport. The tower controller subsequently confirmed that the landing gear appeared to be “a few inches down from the retracted position” but was not fully extended. He ultimately executed an emergency gear-up landing. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system was performed after the airplane was repositioned to a hangar at the airport. The landing gear motor jack screw corresponded to the retracted position at the time of the exam. Electrical power did not appear to be reaching the gear extension motor. When the nose landing gear doors were released (opened), the landing gear was able to be extended manually. Although, the examination confirmed an anomaly with both the primary and secondary extension/retraction systems, it did not determine the exact problem. ## Factual narrative On January 2, 2022, about 1530 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N5844P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Grand Forks International Airport (GFK), Grand Forks, North Dakota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the landing gear did not extend properly as he approached the intended destination airport. His attempts to extend the landing manually were not successful and he decided to divert to a tower-controlled airport. The tower controller subsequently confirmed that the landing gear appeared to be “a few inches down from the retracted position” but was not fully extended. The pilot noted that the airplane was equipped with an aftermarket engine cowling installation with an electrically actuated nose landing gear door system. Before using the emergency gear extension system, the door must be released. The door release lever installed in the cockpit extended about one-half inch before “heavy resistance” was felt. Consultation with a mechanic via the radio and further efforts to fully extend the landing gear were not successful. He executed an emergency gear-up landing. The airframe sustained damage to the lower fuselage during the landing. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system was performed by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors after the airplane was repositioned to a hangar at the airport. The landing motor jack screw corresponded to the retracted position at the time of the exam. Electrical power did not appear to be reaching the gear extension motor. When the nose landing gear doors were released (opened), the landing gear was able to be extended manually. Although the inspectors confirmed an anomaly with both the primary and secondary extension/retraction systems, they were not able to determine the exact source of the problem. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5844P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5844P), registered now, S/N 24-925 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250 - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-925 - Year built: 1959 - Airframe hours: 4859 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-B1A 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 3, 2021, 30 hours before - Departed: ASX, Ashland, WI - Destination: Y37, Park River, ND - Airport: GFK, Grand Forks Int'l, runway 17R, 7,351 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 35; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 6, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 2,198 total, 32 in this make and model, 416 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: -6 °F, dew point -11 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: GFK ## 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 20220102000529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220102000529A), Jan 2, 2022: Piper PA-24-250, Grand Forks, ND, Substantial damage. The pilot attempted to land at the park river airport north of gfk. He attempted to put the gear down and it would not come down. He ran the emergency gear… ## Other investigations on N5844P (2) 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. - [NTSB CHI04LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA101), Apr 6, 2004: Piper PA-24-250 (N5844P), Overland Park, KS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate fuel calculations and the pilot's improper in-flight decision which resulted in fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors were the trees and the night conditions. - [NTSB ATL85LA161](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL85LA161), May 12, 1985: Piper PA-24-250 (N5844P), Savannah, GA, substantial damage ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104535. 40.5 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 18.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16458265&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Report%20--%20CEN22LA102_redacted-Rel.pdf - Accident photos (item 2, PDF, 6 pages, 608 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16458585&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Report%20Photos%20--%20CEN22LA102-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records -- airframe (item 3, PDF, 26 pages, 18.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16458299&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20--%20Airframe%20(N5844P)_redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records -- engine (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 3.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16457842&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20--%20Engine%20(N5844P)_redacted-Rel.pdf - Conversation summary -- FAA inspectors (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16514614&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20--%20FAA_Bosch_24Feb2022-Rel.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.