NTSB ERA24LA259 — 2024-06-12 · Selma, Alabama, United States

Current FAA registration · N62LP

Make / Model: PIPER PA-32R-300
Year of manufacture: 1977 · 47 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING IO-540-K1G5D (300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19770518
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A814EC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N62LP Piper PA-32R-300 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot receiving instruction’s improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent landing gear collapse.

Factual narrative

The pilot receiving instruction was in training to obtain both a complex and high-performance endorsement. After successfully completing a touch-and-go landing and continuing in the airport traffic pattern, the flight instructor reduced engine power to idle to simulate an emergency forced landing. The airplane touched down on the left main landing gear first and then hard on the right main landing gear. Subsequently, the right main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in the right wing contacting the runway and sustaining substantial damage. Both pilots reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_ERA24LA259.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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