- Date
- January 10, 2025, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N555HFPiper PA-44-180
- Defining event
- Approach: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2025
- 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
- 20250110000109A
- Case key
- 199541
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 separation of the securing hardware for the right main landing gear upper and lower torque links for undetermined reasons, which prevented extension of the right main landing gear.
Findings · 2
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
Both pilots reported that after performing airwork they returned to the departure airport where multiple uneventful full stop landings were performed. They then departed and while on the base leg of the airport traffic pattern the right main landing gear did not fully extend. At that point the designated pilot examiner (DPE) took the controls from the pilot applicant, and during the course of 90 minutes, made multiple attempts to fully lower the right main landing gear that were ultimately unsuccessful. The DPE then elected to land with the landing gear retracted rather than with two landing gear down and one retracted. After touchdown the airplane came to rest near the runway centerline. The underside of the fuselage was substantially damaged during the landing. After raising the airplane from the runway, the right main landing gear was manually pulled out of the wheel well and during that process it was discovered that the hardware that secured the upper and lower torque links were not in position and could not be located. Since the hardware could not be found, no determination could be made as to the reason for the separation of the hardware. A review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the hardware securing the right main landing gear torque links was replaced last on about 11 months before the accident. At the time of the accident, the airplane had accrued about 324 flight hours since the hardware replacement. The mechanic who performed the last 100-Hour inspection, about 6 months and 46 hours before the accident, reported that he did not notice any abnormality or defects with the torque link bolts at that time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555HF
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4496176
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 6,248
- Engines
- Lycoming O-360-A1H6, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming LO-360-A1H6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- American Flyers Inc.
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 22, 2024 · 46 hours before
- Airport
- PMP · Pompano Beach Airpark, runway 15, 4,918 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system
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
- Check pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport, Remote
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 25, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 13,018 total · 320 in this make and model · 10,858 as pilot in command · 169 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 23, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,566 total · 12 in this make and model · 1,166 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KPMP
- METAR
- KPMP 101612Z 13008KT 10SM SCT037 21/12 A3008 RMK AO2 T02110122
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 22.3 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.