- Date
- August 21, 2004, 19:55 local (Aug 22, 2004, 01:55 UTC)
- Place
- Sterling, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5975PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040821021079A
- Case key
- 59961
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 the landing gear extension system for undetermined reasons.
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
According to the pilot, after several attempts to extend the landing gear, he manually extended the landing gear. After a "slow" landing and a "brief" rollout, the landing gear collapsed. The airplane settled onto the runway, slid approximately 200 feet and came to a stop on the runway centerline. Within a few moments a fire ensued, destroying the airplane. A witness stated that the airplane landed on its tires and then rolled several feet before the landing gear collapsed. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
On August 21, 2004, at approximately 1955 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5975P, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed by fire when the landing gear collapsed during landing at Sterling Municipal Airport (STK), Sterling, Colorado. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal cross-country flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated at Imperial, Nebraska, at approximately 1915.
According to the pilot, after several attempts to extend the landing gear, he manually extended the landing gear and noted a "green" landing gear indication. After a "slow" landing, and a "brief" rollout, the landing gear collapsed. The airplane settled onto the runway, slid approximately 200 feet and came to a stop on the runway centerline. Within a few moments a fire ensued, destroying the airplane.
According to an FAA inspector, a witness stated that the airplane landed on its tires and then rolled several feet before the landing gear collapsed. The inspector stated that, the pilot reported having landing gear problems prior to the annual inspection which was completed on July 16, 2004. The inspector also stated that the pilot had received instruction from a mechanic on how to manually lower the landing gear. The inspector added that the pilot reported that he had not had any further problems since the annual, which included approximately 12 to 15 landings.
An examination of the airplane, by the FAA inspector, revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5975P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 241068
- Airframe hours
- 3,002
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Todd Wolfley
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 2004 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- IML · Imperial, NE
- Destination
- STK · Sterling, CO
- Airport
- STK · Sterling Municipal, runway 15, 4,730 × 75 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 26, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 32 in this make and model · 103 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- KAKO, 26 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.