Piper PA-24-400 N8493P

Summary

On 15 April 2022 at about 12:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-400 registered N8493P, operated by Sonoran Sunrise Inc, was involved in an accident near Benson, Arizona, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 April 2022 at 12:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Benson, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Benson (31AZ)

Coordinates

31.9997, -110.3598

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-400

Registration

N8493P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1964

Engines

1

Operator

Sonoran Sunrise Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

WPR22LA180

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to lower the landing gear on approach due to distraction.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was approaching the airport to land when a departing helicopter reported deer near the runway. The pilot stated that he turned on the landing lights, lowered the landing gear, and flew the approach. He did not see any deer activity and proceeded to land. Upon landing, the airplane began to shake, and the airplane stopped on the runway. The airplane came to rest on its belly and with the main landing gear partially extended. The nose gear was not visible due to the airplane’s resting position on the runway. The landing gear switch was found in the down position, and the gear motor circuit breaker was found popped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the skins, frames, and stringers on the belly of the fuselage. During postaccident examination of the airplane, the popped gear motor circuit breaker was reset, and the landing gear was cycled up and down successfully using airplane power. No anomalies were noted with the landing gear system. Examination of the underside of the airplane revealed no damage to the main landing gear, wheels, or main gear doors. Examination of the nose gear showed abrasion damage to the face of the nose gear doors. The lack of damage to the main landing gear assemblies and the damage to the face of the nose gear doors was consistent with the gear being in the up position when the airplane touched down on the runway. Even though the pilot stated that he lowered the gear on approach, the evidence is consistent with the pilot failing to lower the gear on approach likely due to distraction from the report of deer near the runway. The gear motor circuit breaker popped because the landing gear switch was likely moved to the down position sometime after the airplane touched down while movement of the landing gear was restricted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.