NTSB CHI90LA141 — 1990-05-29 · PLAINFIELD, Illinois, United States

Current FAA registration · N62869

Make / Model: PIPER PA-31-350
Year of manufacture: 1976 · 14 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines: 8 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19990722
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A83741

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N62869 Piper PA-31-350 None

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO INSURE THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND LOCKED PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED FROM HIS NORMAL PROCEDURES/CHECKLISTS, WHILE IN THE VFR TRAFFIC PATTERN AT AN UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT, AND THAT HE FAILED TO INSURE THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED AND LOCKED BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. HE REPORTED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED WITH MAKING A DECENT LANDING FROM A 'STEEPER-THAN-NORMAL' APPROACH AT AN UNFAMILIAR AIRPORT IN DARK NIGHT CONDITIONS. HE HAD MOVED THE GEAR SELECT HANDLE DOWN, BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE GEAR EXTEND MECHANISM. HE STATED THAT HE NEVER LOOKED FOR THREE GREEN LIGHTS (TO VERIFY THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED) UNTIL HE HEARD A SCRAPING NOISE AS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN. THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN WAS FOUND TO OPERATE INTERMITENTLY DUE TO DIRTY CONTACT POINTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_CHI90LA141.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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