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CEN24LA122

2024-02-23 · Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RVS

Current FAA registration · N3645W

Make / Model
PIPER PA-32-260
Year of manufacture
1966 · 58 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19660506
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A41E44

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the flaps while landing which resulted in a hard landing and loss of directional control.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, while landing, the flaps were inadvertently retracted from the full position. The airplane touched down abruptly on the right side of the runway and headed off the runway toward the runway safety area. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder but overcorrected and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The pilot reported he then attempted a go-around but was not able to establish enough airspeed to become airborne, so he aborted the maneuver. During the runway excursion, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 1R in a variable wind of 5 knots, gusting to 20 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA122.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion, go-around). All research papers