# NTSB CEN23LA417: Piper PA-28RT-201, N2242N, Chesterfield, MO, September 23, 2023

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 23, 2023, 10:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place: Chesterfield, MO
- Coordinates: 38.66516, -90.659437 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.6652&lon=-90.6594&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 193122
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN23LA417
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193122/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193122
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA417

## Probable cause

The partial retraction of the right main and nose landing gear during landing rollout for undetermined reasons.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possible (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28RT-201, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=7102818), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28RT-201, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=7102818), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28RT-201, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102818), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Piper PA-28RT-201, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=7102818), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot conducted an uneventful local flight without issue just before the accident flight. During the accident flight, while conducting a visual traffic pattern approach to the runway, the pilot verified three green landing gear extended annunciator lights and proceeded to land the airplane. After a normal touchdown, he felt that the right wing was low and began to correct the attitude when the right wing continued to drop and scrape the runway. The airplane pulled to the right, exited the runway, spun slowly to the right, and came to rest upright. The airplane’s right main and nose landing gear were found partially retracted and the outboard right wing sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination and testing of the airframe and landing gear system revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the partial retraction of the right main and nose landing gear could not be determined.

## Factual narrative

On September 23, 2023, about 1045 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28RT-201 airplane, N2242N, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Chesterfield, Missouri. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he conducted an uneventful local flight just before the accident flight. During the accident flight, while conducting a visual traffic pattern approach to the runway, the pilot verified three green landing gear extended annunciator lights and proceeded to land the airplane. After a normal touchdown, he felt that the right wing was low and began to correct the attitude when the right wing continued to drop and scrape the runway. The airplane pulled to the right, exited the runway, spun slowly to the right, and came to rest upright. The left main landing gear remained extended; however, the right main and nose landing gear were partially retracted. The outboard right wing sustained substantial damage. After the airplane was recovered it was placed on jacks to facilitate testing of the landing gear system. Three electric landing gear extension and retraction tests and the manual emergency landing gear extension procedure were completed with no anomalies noted. The airplane’s landing gear are hydraulically operated by an electrically powered reversible pump. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin G3X flight display that recorded several aircraft parameters, including electrical amperage (amps). The accident flight data was extracted by a mechanic and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge. A review of the data showed a sharp increase or spike in amps during the accident flight phases that were consistent with the landing gear retraction and extension. Another sharp increase in amps was noted after touchdown and during the landing roll at about 60 knots groundspeed. The reason for the sharp increase in amps during the landing roll could not be determined.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N2242N](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2242N), registered now, S/N 28R-7918044, built 1979 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28RT-201
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28RT-201](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28rt-201) (registry code 7102818) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (registry code 41515, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28R-7918044
- Year built: 1979
- Airframe hours: 7317
- Engines: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, July 12, 2023, 63 hours before
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: SUS, Spirit Of St Louis, runway 26R, 5,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 68; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 28, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 2,322 total, 169 in this make and model, 2,146 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 190° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: KSUS, 1 nm away
- METAR: KSUS 231554Z 19008KT 10SM CLR 27/17 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP149 T02670167

## 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 20230923017079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230923017079A), Sep 23, 2023: Piper PA-28RT-201, Chesterfield, MO, Substantial damage. On September 23, 2023, at 1540 UTC, a Piper arrow P28R landed on rwy 26R, at Spirit of st. Louis airport (ksus), MO. The aircraft touched down on the left main…

## Docket (11 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193122. 44.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243688&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120.1%20N2242N_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 573 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243760&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Piccirilli%20Incident%20Statement%20Rev%20A_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA examination summary (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 209 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243842&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Examination%20Emails_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Landing gear normal mode test video (item 4, MP4, 18.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16244068&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=20230928_084053_697011954278484-Rel.mp4
- Landing gear emergency extension test video (item 5, MP4, 19.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243605&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=20230927_145714-Rel.mp4
- Previous flight and accident flight data (item 6, PDF, 6 pages, 465 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243852&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Plotted%20Data%20-%20Accident%20and%20Previous%20Flights-Rel.pdf
- Accident flight data (item 7, CSV, 527 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243211&FileExtension=csv&FileName=log_20230923_101701_KSUS-Rel.csv
- Previous flight data (item 8, CSV, 804 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16243615&FileExtension=csv&FileName=log_20230923_091641_KSUS-Rel.csv
- Excerpt of POH landing gear system description (item 9, PDF, 6 pages, 909 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16244344&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Excerpts%20of%20POH%20Landing%20Gear%20System-Rel.pdf
- Excerpt of maintenance manual landing gear system description (item 10, PDF, 2 pages, 96 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16244286&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Excerpt%20of%20Maintenance%20Manual%20Landing%20Gear%20System-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photographs (item 11, PDF, 3 pages, 966 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=16244151&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-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.

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