No fatalities

21 Nov 2008: PIPER AEROSTAR 6 — Middletown, OH

Middletown, OH, United States

On 21 Nov 2008, a PIPER AEROSTAR 6 was involved in an aviation accident near Middletown, OH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to check the landing gear position lights to verify that the gear was down and locked. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 9 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported that after an uneventful flight, he extended the landing gear on downwind but failed to verify down and lock. Both main landing gear collapsed on landing, and the airplane skidded off the runway.

Accident Details

According to the pilot's report, the flight was uneventful until arrival at the destination airport. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and extended the landing gear while crossing mid-field on the downwind leg for runway 23. Runway 23 is 6,100 feet long by 100 feet wide, with an asphalt surface. A right quartering headwind was present during the landing.

Pilot's Actions

The pilot stated that he was focused on maintaining airspeed and establishing the proper crosswind landing attitude. As a result, he did not check the landing gear position lights to verify that the gear was down and locked. After touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the right main landing gear. The airplane then skidded to the left and came to rest in the grass area adjacent to the runway.

Additional Observations

The pilot noted that the cockpit landing gear lever provided resistance, although it was not fully in the down position. He also stated that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the airplane prior to the accident.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to check the landing gear position lights to verify that the gear was down and locked.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Incorrect use/operation