- Date
- January 11, 2008, 18:15 local (Jan 12, 2008, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Placerville, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7988PPiper PA-24-250
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminsitration
- FAA report
- 20080111009729A
- Case key
- 67379
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 collapse of the right main landing gear during landing for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 1
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 shortly after touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the runway. After exiting the paved runway, the left main and nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane received structural damage to the right wing. Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the left main landing gear actuator rod was separated, and that the fracture was consistent with overload; no other anomalies were found. Continuity was established throughout the landing gear system. The landing gear was extended manually and locked in the down position. The landing gear warning light functioned normally when tested.
Factual narrative
On January 11, 2008, about 1815 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N7988P, sustained substantial damage following a gear collapse on landing at the Placerville Airport, Placerville, California. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot as a personal instrument flight rules (IFR) cross-country flight under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Tracy, California, at 1745. Placerville was the pilot's intended destination.
The pilot reported that shortly after touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway. After exiting the paved runway, the left main and nose gear collapsed.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the right wing was structurally damaged. Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the left main landing gear actuator rod was separated and that the fracture was consistent with overload. Continuity was established throughout the landing gear system. The landing gear was extended manually and locked in the down position. The landing gear warning light functioned normally when tested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7988P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3226
- Airframe hours
- 2,651
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C1135, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- TCY · Tracy, CA
- Destination
- Placerville, CA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KPVF · Placerville Airport, runway 05, 4,201 × 75 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,074 total · 153 in this make and model · 1,875 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.