- Date
- February 24, 2015, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Phoenix, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N963WWPiper PA 28R-201
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 21, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150224005009A
- Case key
- 90785
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 under instruction's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during the landing rollout.
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
According to both the flight instructor and the pilot undergoing instruction (PUI), during the landing rollout, the PUI inadvertently retracted the landing gear. The landing gear handle was immediately selected to down; however, they felt the airplane sink to the left. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing, stabilator, and empennage. Both pilots reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to both the flight instructor and the pilot undergoing instruction (PUI), during the landing rollout, the PUI inadvertently retracted the landing gear. The landing gear handle was immediately selected to down; however, they felt the airplane sink to the left. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing, stabilator, and empennage. Both pilots reported no mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N963WW
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2844023
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 8,547.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Westwind School of Aeronautics
- Registered owner
- Westwind Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 30, 2014
- Departed
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- DVT · Phoenix, AZ
- Airport
- DVT · Phoenix Deer Valley, runway 25R, 4,500 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 355.8 total · 35.9 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 14, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 200.6 total · 16.2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- DVT
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 10, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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 N963WW · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.