Incident Overview
On February 23, 2026, at 1800 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-30, registered N811LE, was substantially damaged during a landing accident at Big Bear City Airport (L35) in Big Bear, California. The aircraft was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, carrying a pilot and one passenger, both of whom were not injured.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that the flight from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) in San Diego, California, to Big Bear was uneventful. Upon arrival at L35, the pilot extended the landing gear and observed that the nose landing gear appeared extended, but the green landing gear indicator light did not illuminate. After touchdown, the landing gear collapsed, causing the airplane to slide down the runway. This resulted in damage to the fuselage undercarriage.
Aircraft Recovery and Examination
The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination. No additional details regarding the examination or findings were provided in the initial report.