Piper PA-44-180 N8517D

Summary

On 23 August 1989 at about 23:45 local time, a Piper PA-44-180 registered N8517D, operated by First Coast Flight Center, Inc, was involved in an accident near St Augustine, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 1989 at 23:45

Classification

Accident

Location

St Augustine, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

St Augustine (SGJ)

Coordinates

29.8894, -81.3092

Aircraft

Piper PA-44-180

Registration

N8517D

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

First Coast Flight Center, Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA89LA230

Nobody was injured.

INADVERTENT RETRACTION OF THE LANDING GEAR, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT PLT RPRTD THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED TO THE DOWN & LOCKED PSN WHILE THE ACFT WAS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. ALSO, A PLT IN ANOTHER ACFT BEHIND THE PA-44 NOTED THAT THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED. HOWEVER,AS THE ACFT WAS LANDED, IT SETTLED TO THE RWY & SUBSEQUENTLY STOPPED WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED. THE CFI RPRTD THERE WAS NO WARNING HORN OR LIGHTS DURING THE APCH. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RAISED FROM THE RWY, THE WARNING HORN OPERATED NORMALLY. ALSO, THE GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY DURING A RETRACTION TEST.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.