- Date
- February 23, 2026, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Glencoe, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N279SRPiper PA-28RT-201
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA / FSDO
- FAA report
- 20260223001429A
- Case key
- 202496
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 pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the flight.
Findings · 7
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
During an instructional flight, the flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction completed air work followed by simulated power-off landings. According to the flight instructor, while on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot receiving instruction “broke the sterile cockpit,” did not complete the checklist, and did not extend the landing gear. The flight instructor reported that she became distracted and did not confirm that the student extended the landing gear. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage longerons. The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N279SR
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7918130
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 10,422.12
- Engine
- Lycoming IO 360 SER A&C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Metro Aircraft Co
- Registered owner
- Metro Aircraft Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 2026
- Departed
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Destination
- FCM · Eden Prairie, MN
- Airport
- GYL · Glencoe Muni, runway 13/31, 3,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 8, 2025
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 688.8 total · 166 in this make and model · 584.2 as pilot in command · 210.6 in the last 90 days · 125.8 in the last 30 days · 4.7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- December 16, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 229.7 total · 14 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 73.6 in the last 90 days · 15.8 in the last 30 days · 3.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 18 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- GYL
- METAR
- METAR KGYL 232335Z AUTO 10007KT 10SM CLR M08/M13 A3028 RMK AO2 T10811133
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.