Piper PA-34-200 N16397
25 October 1999 · Hopedale, Massachusetts, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 25 October 1999 at about 14:20 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N16397 was involved in an accident near Hopedale, Massachusetts, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hopedale, Massachusetts, United States
- Nearest airport
- Hopedale Industrial Park (1B6)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200
- Registration
- N16397
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hopedale → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC00LA018
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The nose landing gear was not locked in the extended position.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilots stated that the landing gear was extended prior to entering the traffic pattern. The approach was normal, and the airplane settled from about 5 feet in the air, onto the runway. The main gear touched down first, followed by the nose landing gear, then the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded approximately 600 feet, and came to rest on the runway. The nose landing gear actuator separated, but there was no other damage to the nose landing gear. Examination of the actuator, by a Safety Board Metallurgist, revealed a failure consistent with overstress. According to the airplane manufacturer, the nose landing gear could not be extended and locked, if only the actuator was damaged. Either the landing gear was improperly rigged, or the gear was still in travel as the airplane landed. According to maintenance records, the rigging of the landing gear was checked during the last annual inspection, and no maintenance work was performed on the landing gear between the annual inspection and the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-34 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Dec 1999 | Piper PA-34-220T | Alexandria, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jan 1999 | Piper PA-34-200T | Wharton, Texas, United States | Javier H. Hinojosa, JR. | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 1999 | Piper PA-34-220T | Salem, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1999 | Piper PA-34-200 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 5 Nov 1999 | Piper PA-34-200T | Hannibal, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 1999 | Piper PA-34-200 | Olive Branch, Mississippi, United States | Douglas Aviation | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 1999 | Piper PA-12 | Orange, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 1999 | Cessna 172P | Leominster, Massachusetts, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Sep 1999 | Cessna 337C | North Adams, Massachusetts, United States | George F. Shelton | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Sep 1999 | Cessna 182 | Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1999 | Beechcraft 1900D | Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 1999 | Cessna 172P | Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |