NTSB WPR23LA332 — 2023-09-01 · Coolidge, Arizona, United States

Current FAA registration · N440DM

Make / Model: PIPER PA-34-200T
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 48 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER (225 hp)
Seats / Engines: 7 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19750925
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A54AF4

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N440DM Piper PA-34-200T None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during a simulated instrument approach he forgot to extend the airplane’s landing gear. The airplane subsequently touched down on the runway and the fuselage and wings were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of checklist-Pilot
— Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Attention-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA332.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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