# NTSB DEN00LA097: Piper PA-44-180T, N8303P, Englewood, CO, May 30, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 30, 2000, 16:40 local (22:40 UTC) - Place: Englewood, CO - Coordinates: 39.580047, -104.859306 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5800&lon=-104.8593&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 4, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49332 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49332/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00LA097 ## Probable cause In-flight planning and decision by the flight instructor by allowing the student to fly into a hazardous situation. Factors were the flight instructor delaying extending the landing gear and delaying a go-around. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Wheels up landing, landing - aborted - gear extension - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - go-around - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) - aborted landing - not successful, pilot in command(cfi) - in-flight planning/decision - inaccurate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis During an instructional flight, while practicing an engine out approach to land, the student pilot failed to lower the landing gear. The tower asked the pilot to 'verify gear down' and the flight instructor initiated a go-around on short final. The aircraft settled and landed with the landing gear retracted on the grass beside the runway causing damage to the propellers and underside of the aircraft hull. The flight instructor said the engines failed to respond; however, an examination of the engines by an FAA airworthiness inspector produced no evidence of preimpact malfunction or failure. ## Factual narrative On May 30, 2000, at 1640 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180T, N8303P, landed with the landing gear retracted at Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado. The certified flight instructor pilot and private certificated student pilot were not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Aspen Flying Club, under Title 14 CFR Part 91, was operating the local area instructional flight and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to information provided by the flight instructor, the flight had been airborne approximately 2 hours, and the student pilot was practicing an engine out approach. The flight instructor said he realized on final that the student had failed to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor initiated a go-around. The engines failed to respond and a landing gear retracted landing was made in the grass on the left side of runway 35L. According to information provided by Centennial Airport Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) control tower personnel, the controller asked the pilot to "verify gear down" when the aircraft was on short final to land. The pilot replied that he was initiating a "go-around" and the aircraft settled on to the ground. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined airframe and engines. The propellers and underside of the aircraft hull sustained damage. No evidence was found of engine failure or malfunction. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8303P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8303P), registered now, S/N 44-8107031, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-44-180T - Registry model: [Piper PA-44-180T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180t) (registry code 7104404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming T0-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-t0-360-series) (registry code 41528, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 44-8107031 - Airframe hours: 5848 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-E1A6D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Aspen Flying Club - Registered owner: Eldred J. Westback - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 3, 2000, 36 hours before - Departed: APA - Airport: APA, Centennial, runway 35L, 7,003 × 77 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 30; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: right; flight hours: 629 total, 203 in this make and model, 577 as pilot in command, 210 in the last 90 days, 55 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 40° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 73 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: APA, 1 nm away ## 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 20000530009559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000530009559A), May 30, 2000: Piper PA44180T, Denver, CO, No damage. (-23) While doing touch-n-goes, at apa, N8303P was advised by apa tower that his gear was not down. N8303P attempted a go-around but was too low and slow. A/c… 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.