- Date
- March 14, 2026, 12:32 local (16:32 UTC)
- Place
- Athens, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9024PPiper PA-24-260
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 2026
- 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
- 20260314002949A
- Case key
- 202662
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.
Findings · 3
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 reported that, during a straight-in landing approach, he inadvertently landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane remained on the runway and slid to a stop, after which the pilot realized the landing gear handle was still in the up position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A mechanic examined the airplane after the accident and confirmed that the landing gear system, including the position warning horn, functioned normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9024P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4486
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 7,942
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540D4A5, 260 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2026 · 7,933 hours before
- Departed
- KECE · Seneca, SC
- Destination
- KAHN · Athens, GM
- Airport
- AHN · Athens/Ben Epps, runway 27, 6,122 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 30, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 872 total · 741 in this make and model · 820 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- AHN
- METAR
- METAR KAHN 141451Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/06 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP208 T01780061 53013 $
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.