- Date
- September 1, 2023, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Coolidge, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N440DMPiper PA-34-200T
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- 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
- FAA report
- 20230901014899A
- Case key
- 193008
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 before landing.
Findings · 4
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 a simulated instrument approach he forgot to extend the airplane’s landing gear. The airplane subsequently touched down on the runway and the fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N440DM
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7670040
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 3,847.3
- Engines
- Continental LTSIO360EB11, 200 hp, reciprocatingContinental TSIO360EB1, 200 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 11, 2023
- Departed
- KFFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- P08 · Coolidge, AZ
- Airport
- P08 · Coolidge Municipal Airport, runway 23, 5,564 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 8, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 918.1 total · 8.6 in this make and model · 781.3 as pilot in command · 151.3 in the last 90 days · 37.1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KP08
- METAR
- KP08 011955Z AUTO 23009KT 10SM CLR 29/20 A3001 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 4, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.6 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.