- Date
- October 16, 2024, 08:18 local (13:18 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7967YPiper PA-30
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20241016017349A
- Case key
- 195330
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 failure of a landing gear torque arm which resulted in a landing gear collapse and runway excursion.
Findings · 1
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
The pilot reported that while on approach he extended the landing gear, and the three green landing gear indication lights were illuminated; however, he noted that the gear took longer to extend than expected. There was a minimal crosswind, the wind was not gusting, and he lowered the right wing into the crosswind. Upon touch down, the right wing dropped and contacted the runway then the nose gear collapsed, and the gear warning horn sounded. The airplane continued off the right side of the runway and came to rest upright in the grass. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing spar. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left torque arm for right gear and nose gear was broken. The nose gear push pull rod and rod end for the right gear push pull cable was detached from the left torque arm. The right torque arm for the left gear was intact. The rod end for the left gear push pull cable was still attached and functional.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7967Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1065
- Built
- 1966
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Hot Springs Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 2024 · 5.2 hours before
- Departed
- HDC · Hammond, LA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- NEW · Lakefront, runway 36L, 6,879 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 33,500 total · 2,033 in this make and model · 25,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 22 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KNEW, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KNEW 161253Z 04022KT 10SM CLR 15/06 A3028 RMK AO2 PK WND 05033/1229 SLP247 T01500061
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 21.3 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.