Casualties unknown

Pilot forgets to lower landing gear in gear-up incident (N6606P)

Eden Prairie, MN, US

On August 30, 1999, a Piper PA-24-180 (registration N6606P) was involved in an aviation accident near Eden Prairie, MN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported forgetting to extend the landing gear during a gear-up landing under visual meteorological conditions. Post-accident checks confirmed the gear mechanism functioned correctly.

What happened

The aircraft executed a landing without the deployment of its landing gear, resulting in a gear-up contact with the runway surface. The incident occurred while the airplane was operating under visual meteorological conditions, which provided adequate visibility and clearance from clouds for the maneuver.

Following the event, the pilot provided a written statement explaining the sequence of events. In this account, the pilot admitted that he had simply forgotten to lower the landing gear before touchdown. This admission points to an oversight in the pre-landing checklist or procedural execution rather than a mechanical failure at the moment of impact.

The investigation

A postaccident examination was conducted to determine if the landing gear system had failed mechanically. During this inspection, the airplane was supported on jacks to allow for safe testing of the gear mechanism. The test revealed that the landing gear extended under its own power without issue. This finding confirms that the hydraulic or electrical systems responsible for gear deployment were operational and that the failure to land on the wheels was due to human error rather than equipment malfunction.

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to touchdown.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X19463. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.