No fatalities

Landing Gear Retraction Incident at Destination Airport

Amarillo, TX, United States

On July 4, 2011, a PIPER PA-24-180 operated by DUVALL GENE A was involved in an aviation accident near Amarillo, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft sustained substantial lower fuselage damage after landing with the gear up due to pilot distraction. Inspections found no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation.

Incident Overview

During a routine arrival, an airplane landed at its destination airport with the landing gear in the retracted position. The pilot was focused on flying duties and inadvertently failed to lower the gear before touchdown.

Damage Assessment

The impact of landing without extended landing gear resulted in substantial damage to the lower section of the fuselage. This type of incident typically leads to significant structural stress on the airframe components located beneath the main body of the aircraft.

Technical Investigation

Following the event, a thorough inspection of the airplane was conducted to determine if any mechanical issues contributed to the occurrence. The examination revealed no malfunctions or anomalies within the landing gear system or related mechanisms. Consequently, it was determined that there were no technical defects which would have precluded the normal operation of the aircraft's landing gear.

Contributing factors

Pilot