- Date
- October 18, 2018, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Madras, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6263PPiper PA24
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181018020279A
- Case key
- 98528
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, which resulted in an attempted go-around and subsequent pitchdown and impact with the runway.
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
The pilot of the retractable-gear airplane reported that, during landing, at the "last second," he noticed that the landing gear were not extended. He applied full power to go around, but the airplane pitched down and impacted the runway. The airplane came to rest about 1000 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the retractable-gear airplane reported that, during landing, at the "last second" he noticed that the landing gear was not extended. He applied full power to go around, but the airplane pitched down and impacted the runway. The airplane came to rest about 1000 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6263P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24 (250)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1371
- Built
- 1959
- Airframe hours
- 2,647.19
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D-5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2018
- Departed
- S33 · Madras, OR
- Destination
- S33 · Madras, OR
- Airport
- S33 · Madras Municipal, runway 34, 5,089 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 20, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,575 total · 38 in this make and model · 1,575 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KRDM, 25 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 14, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 16.5 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.
Other investigations on N6263P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.