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Atlas / NTSB / MIA89LA104

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA89LA104

1989-03-12 ST AUGUSTINE, Florida, United States Airport · SGJ None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N8417H

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-34-220T

Year of manufacture

1981 · 8 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER (225 hp)

Seats / Engines

7 seats · 2 engines

Last airworthiness date

19810611

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AB86E5

Registrant of record

WALSER AIR LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADVERTENTLY RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR, AND FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) TO NOTE THAT THE GEAR HAD BEEN RETRACTED. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: IMPROPER FLARE BY THE STUDENT PILOT.

Factual narrative

THE MULTI-ENG PVT PLT WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM HIS CFI. THE PLT STATED THE LDG WAS ON THE MAIN GEAR, 'SLIGHTLY HARD & THE PLANE FLOATED UP A COUPLE OF FT.' TOUCHING DOWN AGAIN ABT 50 YDS DOWN THE RWY, THE ACFT LNDD ON THE WHEELS, BUT SEEMED LOW. THE CFI ADMITTED TO A FLAT APCH WHICH RESULTED IN A 'SLIGHT BOUNCE OF ABT 3 FT'. THE ACFT WAS PLACED ON JACKS & 8 RETRACTION/EXTENSION CYCLES WERE PERFORMED. THE GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE; SCUFF MARKS ON THE SIDEWALLS OF THE MAIN GEAR TIRES INDICATED THEY WERE UP AS THE ACFT SKIDDED ALONG THE RWY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_MIA89LA104.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.