- Date
- May 6, 1989, 09:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Montague, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N550VPiper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890506011009A
- Case key
- 26399
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 because of inattention. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance of the airplane which failed to repair the landing gear warning throttle position switch.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane had recently undergone replacement on the landing gear transmission and maintenance on the gear system. After the airplane was raised from the runway, the landing gear was extended manually. Post accident investigation revealed the gear motor circuit breaker was popped. Further investigation indicated the gear motor was binding because of insufficient adjustment between the transmission and gear motor. This airplane is equipped with a manual extension system that also serves as a secondary gear position indicator. If the landing gear is moving by electrical actuation, the manual extension system is also moving at the same time.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N550V
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3078
- Airframe hours
- 4,387
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Samual Powell
- Registered owner
- Autoword Slaes & Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1988 · 147 hours before
- Departed
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Destination
- 105
- Airport
- 105 · Montague-Yreka Rohrer Fld, runway 32, 3,360 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 327 total · 175 in this make and model · 322 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.