# NTSB ERA24LA275: Piper PA23, N14175, Montgomery, AL, June 25, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 25, 2024, 13:13 local (18:13 UTC) - Place: Montgomery, AL - Coordinates: 32.300676, -86.389756 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3007&lon=-86.3898&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: 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 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 194545 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA275 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194545/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194545 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA275 ## Probable cause The failure of the nose landing gear actuator to maintain a fully down and locked position. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-23-250, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=7102308), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: 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 pilot reported that he was completing a practice instrument approach, and after extending the landing gear he saw 3 green lights, indicating the landing gear were down and locked. He continued the approach as normal and touched down on the main landing gear, but as the nose lowered it continued “straight to the ground.” The airplane skidded on its nose down the runway before coming to a stop. The forward lower portion of the airplane’s fuselage was substantially damaged. Following the accident, the nose landing gear actuator was removed, and bench-tested under the supervision of a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The test revealed that when hydraulic pressure was removed from extension side of the actuator it began an uncommanded movement in the opposite, landing gear retraction, direction. This uncommanded movement was likely due to internal leakage in the actuator, which would have prevented the nose landing gear from remaining in the fully down and locked position. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N14175](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N14175), registered now, S/N 27-4739, built 1971 (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 IO-540-C4B5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-c4b5) (registry code 41651, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 27-4739 - Year built: 1971 - Airframe hours: 5730 - Engines: LYCOMING IO-540-C4B5 250 horsepower reciprocating; LYCOMING IO-540-C4B5 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Box Aviation Inc - Registered owner: Box Aviation Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 5, 2024, 18 hours before - Airport: MGM, Montgomery Rgnl (Dannelly Fld), runway 28, 9,020 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport, private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2023; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,701 total, 13 in this make and model, 1,522 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 29.95 inHg - Observed at: MGM, 1 nm away - METAR: KMGM 251753Z 27007KT 10SM CLR 37/16 A2995 RMK AO2 SLP139 T03670156 10367 20233 58005 ## 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 20240625007479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240625007479A), Jun 25, 2024: Piper PA-23-250, Montgomery, AL, Substantial damage. PIC was conducting personal practice with type aircraft. On first landing attempt, he stated everything was looking just fine and continued to land. An ATC… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194545. 3.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17415513&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20FORMS%20FOR%20NOSE%20GEAR%20COLLAPSE_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record a�� seatbelt usage (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17416332&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR%20Seatbelt-Rel.pdf - Federal aviation administration inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 114 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17416210&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=INSPECTOR%20STATEMENT-Rel.pdf - Investigative photographs (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 793 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17416128&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA275%20Photo%20Array-Rel.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.