- Date
- October 20, 2012, 17:10 local (Oct 21, 2012, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Tahoe, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7950PPiper PA24
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121020024989A
- Case key
- 85415
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 ensure that the landing gear was extended before landing.
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 reported that he aborted a landing due to traffic on the active runway and retracted the landing gear. He stated that on the second approach to land he carried extra power because of the gusty wind conditions, but during the landing flare, he realized that he had failed to extend the landing gear. After he realized that the landing gear was not extended, the pilot added full power; however, the airplane impacted the runway with the landing gear in the retracted position. The pilot stated that he did not follow the checklist and that he did not hear the landing gear warning horn during his approach. When informed that the throttle position to activate the landing gear warning horn was only about 1/2 inch forward of the full aft idle position, the pilot indicated that he had not retarded the throttle that far. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its undercarriage as a result of the abnormal runway contact.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he retracted the landing gear following an aborted landing due to traffic on the active runway. He stated that on his second approach he carried power due to the gusty wind condition, but during the landing flare he realized that he had failed to extend the landing gear. The pilot further said that after he realized that the landing gear was not extended he added full power; however, the airplane impacted the runway with the landing gear in the retracted position. He added that he did not follow the checklist and that he did not hear the landing gear warning horn during his approach. When informed that the throttle position to activate the landing gear warning horn was only about one-half inch beyond the full aft idle position, the pilot indicated that he had not retarded the throttle that far. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its undercarriage as a result of the abnormal runway contact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7950P
- Reported as
- Piper PA24 (250)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3187
- Airframe hours
- 6,172
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Scott Dineen
- Registered owner
- Richard L Dombrow
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2012 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- FUL · Fullerton, CA
- Destination
- TVL · Lake Tahoe, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- TVL · South Lake Tahoe, runway 18, 8,541 × 150 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Last flight review
- February 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,915 total · 30 in this make and model · 1,940 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 16, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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 N7950P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.