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ANC15CA027

2015-05-16 · Homer, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HOM

Current FAA registration · N4079H

Make / Model
PIPER PA-31-350
Year of manufacture
1981 · 34 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines
8 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19810217
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4CA3D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the approach to landing while distracted and his failure to complete the landing checklist.

Factual narrative

The pilot was landing a retractable landing gear-equipped, twin engine airplane at an uncontrolled airport. While on final approach, an airplane that landed in front of him reported a moose in the vicinity of the runway. An airport maintenance person announced on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he was attempting to chase the moose off of the runway. The pilot became distracted trying to avoid wake turbulence from the preceding airplane and monitor the location of the vehicle and moose and failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing. During touchdown, the airplane contacted the runway with the landing gear retracted, and it slid about 1,200 feet. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot was landing a retractable landing gear-equipped, twin engine airplane at an uncontrolled airport. While on final approach, an airplane that landed in front of him reported a moose in the vicinity of the runway. An airport maintenance person announced on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he was attempting to chase the moose off of the runway. The pilot became distracted trying to avoid wake turbulence from the preceding airplane and monitor the location of the vehicle and moose and failed to extend the landing gear prior to landing. During touchdown, the airplane contacted the runway with the landing gear retracted, and it slid about 1,200 feet. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.   Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Landing gear selector-Not used/operated - C
  • F Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot - F
  • F Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Task monitoring/vigilance-Pilot - F

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_ANC15CA027.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (wake turbulence, turbulence, maintenance). All research papers