# NTSB ERA19LA279: Piper PA23, N269KW, Charlotte Amalie, September 12, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 12, 2019, 02:25 local (06:25 UTC) - Place: Charlotte Amalie - Coordinates: 18.337499, -64.967224 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.3375&lon=-64.9672&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 100316 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19LA279 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/100316/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100316 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA279 ## Probable cause The collapse of the left main landing gear for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The commercial pilot reported that while back-taxiing at night on the takeoff runway, he cycled the propeller twice, pulled the throttle back to idle, and heard an irregular noise. He then felt ground contact, consistent with the airplane’s left main landing gear collapsing. He immediately shut off the mixtures to both engines. The pilot reported that he did not recognize that the landing gear was slowly collapsing because of the dark night conditions. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Therefore, the reason for the landing gear collapse could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On September 12, 2019, at 0225 Atlantic standard time, a Piper PA23-250, N269KW, was substantially damaged while taxiing at Cyril E King Airport (TIST), Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to Executive Airshares, LLC, and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the personal flight was destined for Henry E Rohlsen Airport (TISX), St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the pilot's written statement, he "added throttle to get the temp[eratures]s up" back taxiing to Runway 10. He cycled the propeller twice, pulled the throttle back to idle, heard an irregular noise and then felt ground contact. He immediately shut off the mixtures to both engines. The pilot reported that "the gear was slowly collapsing" while he was taxiing, "which could not be recognized in the dark." Inspection of the accident site and wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed a 60 to 70 ft ground scar on the runway leading to the runway edge, consistent with the left landing gear and wingtip. Ground scars were observed in the turf from the runway edge leading to where the airplane came to rest after striking a runway light. The left-wing leading edge was fractured and impact damaged in several areas and the wing spar was substantially damaged. The trailing edge of the outboard left wing displayed damage consistent with ground and runway contact. The landing gear was examined under the supervision of the FAA inspector. The inspector noted no evidence of landing gear structural damage and no malfunction of the landing gear actuator. A retraction test revealed no mechanical failures and a hydraulic pressure test revealed no anomalies. According to maintenance records, the airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on July 1, 2019, at which time a landing gear retraction test was performed with no anomalies noted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N269KW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N269KW-2022-03-05), registration cancelled 2022-03-05, S/N 27-3275, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA23 (250) - Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 27-3275 - Year built: 1966 - Airframe hours: 5250 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-J4A5 250 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-540-J4A5 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Executive Airshares Llc - Registered owner: Executive Airshares Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 1, 2019 - Departed: TIST, Charlotte Amalie - Destination: TISX, St. Croix - Flight plan: Unknown - Airport: TIST, Cyril E King, runway 10, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 54; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 20, 2019; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 7,053 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 6,971 as pilot in command, 71 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 70° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 77 °F - Altimeter: 29.85 inHg - Observed at: TIST ## 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 20190912014549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190912014549A), Sep 12, 2019: Piper PA-23-250, Saint Thomas, VI, Substantial damage. Left main landing gear collapsed while taxing. The commercial pilot was not injured. Operated under part 91. Night, vm. According to the pilot's written… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=100316. 10.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 7.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485957&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 277 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485958&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Statements (item 3, .PDF, 165 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485959&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statements-Master.PDF - Area Weather Reports (item 4, .PDF, 86 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485961&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Area%20Weather%20Reports-Master.PDF - Investigative Photographs (item 5, .PDF, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485962&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs-Master.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.