- Date
- May 27, 2023, 15:17 local (20:17 UTC)
- Place
- Sugar Land, TX
- Injuries
- 8 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N327APiaggio Aero Industries P180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Houston FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230527007199A
- Case key
- 192276
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 complete required preflight checklist items and properly configure the flaps for takeoff.
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 the takeoff roll, shortly after rotation, he cycled the gear up. The airplane then descended and contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The flap control lever and the flaps were found in the “UP” position following the accident. Review of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) directed the flaps to be set to MID during the before taxi check and to check flaps MID during the before takeoff check. The AFM ALSO stated, in part, “No takeoff authorized without flaps, or with non-symmetrical flap configuration or annunciated flap asymmetry.” The pilot said he could not recall setting the flaps to “MID” position prior to takeoff. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N327A
- Reported as
- Piaggio Aero Industries P180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1158
- Built
- 2008
- Engines
- P&W Canada PT6A-66B, 800 horsepower, turbo propP&W Canada PT6A-66B, 800 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- D & S Mafco LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- MMSL · Cabo San Lucas, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SGR · Sugar Land Rgnl, runway 17, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 20, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 4,595 total · 1,557 in this make and model · 4,186 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 87 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- sgr
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 1, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.1 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.