Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear on the ground.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On November 25, 2003, about 1600 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N5406P, was substantially damaged while landing at the Kutztown Airport (N31), Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, after landing on runway 28, a 2,221-foot long asphalt runway, during the rollout, he turned off the landing lights, turned off the fuel pump, and after raising the flaps, the landing gear retracted and the airplane settled on to the ground.
The pilot did not recall if he raised the landing gear selector lever, and did not check its position after the accident.
After the accident, the pilot had the airplane removed from the runway and placed into a hangar, where it was discovered about 3 months later by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector conducting routine surveillance at the airport.
Examination of the wreckage by the FAA inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC04LA086