- Date
- May 9, 1996, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9816CPiper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960509046349A
- Case key
- 10244
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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision and the dual student's failure to extend the landing gear. Factors were the distraction of the flight instructor and the student's failure to use checklist procedures.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that she was sitting in the left seat observing the student, who was also a commercial rated pilot, flying from the right seat. The instructor reported that the student put the flaps down to 10 degrees on downwind and she was 'surprised.' He then put the gear down. She asked him why he had lowered the flaps prior to the gear. He responded that he had been taught to wait until descent to lower the gear. Turning final, she checked the flap handle, checked the gear lights, and noticed that the red warning light was off. She reported that she heard the gear warning horn during the landing flare and the next thing she remembered was 'stopping and staring at the bent prop. The student reported that he had performed a 'mental GUMPS check' and was 'distracted.' Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunction.
Factual narrative
On May 9, 1996, about 1230 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-201, N9816C, registered to Aretz Flying Service, Inc., was substantially damaged during a gear up landing in Lafayette, Indiana. The commercial rated flight instructor and the commercial rated pilot on board the airplane reported no injuries. The local, 14 CFR Part 91, instructional flight originated about one hour prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The flight instructor reported that she was sitting in the left seat observing the student, who was also a commercial rated pilot, flying from the right seat. The instructor reported that the student put the flaps down to 10 degrees on downwind and she was "surprised." He then put the gear down. She asked him why he had lowered the flaps prior to the gear. He responded that he had been taught to wait until descent to lower the gear. Turning final, she checked the flap handle, checked the gear lights, and noticed that the red warning light was off. She reported that she heard the gear warning horn during the landing flare and the next thing she remembered was "stopping and staring at the bent prop."
During an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, the student reported that he had performed a "mental GUMPS check" and was "distracted."
Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9816C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7837222
- Airframe hours
- 6,765
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aretz Flying Service, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 1996 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- 3AR
- Airport
- 3AR · Aretz, runway 25, 2,812 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,273 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,190 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9816C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.