# NTSB CEN25LA133: Piper PA-28R-201T, N38871, Liberal, KS, March 20, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: March 20, 2025, 12:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place: Liberal, KS
- Coordinates: 37.043921, -100.95996
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0439&lon=-100.9600&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 199904
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA133
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199904/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199904
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA133

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distraction and his failure to conduct the prelanding checklist.

## Findings

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

- [Attention/monitoring: attention](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/cases.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 226 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021510/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)
- [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (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)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot; cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/cases.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 231 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021540/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)
- [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (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)

## 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 not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201T, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=7102813), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md)

## Analysis

According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, he heard a slapping noise outside the right front door of the airplane. He determined that the seatbelt was outside the door, and he decided to land to fix it. While on a midfield downwind to the runway, another pilot radioed that he was entering the vicinity of the airport to land. The accident pilot stated that he attempted to gauge the other pilot’s proximity to the airport and prepare himself for a crosswind landing and forgot to complete his prelanding checklist, which included lowering the landing gear. The airplane landed gear up, which resulted in substantial damage to the longerons on the belly of the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N38871](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N38871), registered now, S/N 28R-7703281, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-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-7703281
- Year built: 1977
- Airframe hours: 4730
- Engines: Continental T5IO-360-FB 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Arrow Blue N38871 LLC
- Registered owner: Arrow Blue N38871 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, July 24, 2024
- Departed: LBL, Liberal, KS
- Destination: LBL, Liberal, KS
- Airport: LBL, Liberal Mid America Regional, runway 35, 7,105 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 75; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 10, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,000 total, 62 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn
- Wind: 210° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observed at: KLBL
- METAR: KLBL 201756Z AUTO 21015G20KT 10SM CLR 13/M07 A3022

## 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 20250320003179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250320003179A), Mar 20, 2025: Piper PA-28R-201T, Liberal, KS, Substantial damage. The pilot reported that after departing from runway 17 at Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport (klbl) in Liberal, KS on March 20, 2025, a loud slapping sound…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199904. 2.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18882256&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=New%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 679 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18881731&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=photo%20array-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.