Accident Details
On January 16, 2024, about 1815 central standard time, a Piper PA24, registration N7059P, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Hugo, Oklahoma. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the pilot's report, after takeoff, he retracted the landing gear but did not receive an “Up” indication. He then lowered the gear and noted a “Down” indication, but upon a second retraction, again no “Up” indication appeared. The pilot elected to continue the flight, reporting that he had to hold right aileron and right rudder during cruise to maintain coordinated flight. The flight duration was approximately 3.5 hours.
As the airplane approached its destination, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear. The circuit breaker tripped, and the landing gear motor stopped. Multiple attempts to reset the breaker and cycle the gear were unsuccessful; the breaker continued to trip, and the pilot received neither “Up” nor “Down” indications. A flyby of the airport was performed, and ground observers signaled that the landing gear was not extended. The pilot then attempted the emergency landing gear extension procedure, but the lever would not move. He circled the airport for about 40 minutes while diagnosing the issue. Ultimately, the pilot decided to land with the gear retracted, conducting additional flybys to evaluate the terrain adjacent to the runway. After selecting a landing location, he performed prelanding checks, including selecting the fullest fuel tank based on fuel gauge readings.
While maneuvering to land, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing, the airplane struck small trees and impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing.
Landing Gear System
The Piper PA24 landing gear system consists of a mechanical gear motor system located in the cockpit floor. In normal operation, the gear motor connects to pushrods actuating the nose landing gear and large push-pull cables actuating the main landing gear. An emergency extension lever is provided to disconnect the gear motor from the rest of the system.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed that, with the airplane lifted off the ground, the landing gear could extend once the main landing gear was disconnected from the push-pull cables in the wheel well. The emergency extension lever had been released, but significant resistance was encountered when attempting to move it.
The examination also found that the fuel gauge readings were inaccurate. The left tank, which the pilot had reported as indicating more fuel, was empty. The right tank, which had indicated less fuel, still contained about 5 gallons of fuel.