- Date
- February 19, 2009, 20:10 local (Feb 20, 2009, 04:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8816PPiper PA-24-260
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 12, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090220008669A
- Case key
- 73372
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 for landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention due to an open door and the airport's pilot activated runway lights turning off.
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 departure on a local night flight, the airplane's door popped open. He turned to downwind and attempted to close the door. While on downwind, the airport's pilot activated runway lights turned off. The pilot then had to reactivate the runway lights and he landed the airplane without extending the landing gear. Subsequently, the airplane caught fire and was consumed.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during departure on a local night flight, the airplane's door popped open. He turned to downwind and attempted to close the door. While on downwind, the airport's pilot activated runway lights turned off. The pilot then had to reactivate the runway lights and he landed the airplane without extending the landing gear. Subsequently, the airplane caught fire and was consumed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8816P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4272
- Airframe hours
- 6,247
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2008
- Departed
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- Destination
- LHM · Lincoln, CA
- Airport
- LHM · Lincoln Regional Airport, runway 15, 6,001 × 100 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 9, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,164 total · 625 in this make and model · 1,027 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- MYV, 15 nm away
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 N8816P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.