- Date
- November 8, 2023, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Florala, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N100VFPiper PA32R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20231108017579A
- Case key
- 193373
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. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the flight.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot stated that he was performing a short-field landing as part of a flight review and because he was focused on his intended point of touchdown, airspeed, flap position, and clearing the “simulated 50 ft obstacle,” he was distracted from the normal landing procedure. Immediately before touchdown, the airplane’s landing gear warning horn sounded, and the landing was completed with the landing gear fully retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented normal landing gear extension.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N100VF
- Reported as
- Piper PA32R (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7780539
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 8,046
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 2023 · 91.1 hours before
- Departed
- 18FD · Baker, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 0J4 · Florala Municipal Airport, runway 22, 3,197 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- February 9, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,542 total · 957 in this make and model · 1,508 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 25, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,564 total · 190 in this make and model · 1,769 as pilot in command · 106 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- K0J4
- METAR
- K0J4 082158Z AUTO 21010KT 10SM CLR 26/14 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP165 T02610139
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 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.