Piper PA-24-400 N400VL

Summary

On 13 March 2007 at about 01:10 local time, a Piper PA-24-400 registered N400VL was involved in an accident near Des Moines, Iowa, 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

13 March 2007 at 01:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Des Moines, Iowa, United States

Coordinates

41.5350, -93.6606

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-400

Registration

N400VL

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Winterset → Osceola

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CHI07CA088

Nobody was injured.

the nose landing gear becoming jammed in a partially extended position during flight as a result of damage to the nose landing gear by ground personnel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged during a wheels-up landing following a failure of the landing gear to extend. The pilot reported that during an approach for landing, the airplane's landing gear failed to extend fully. The pilot reported that during the first attempt to lower the landing gear he heard a "metallic-sounding 'clack.'" The pilot reported that he made several attempts to lower the landing gear using both the normal and emergency extension procedures. The pilot reported that he elected to divert to another airport to perform an emergency landing. Upon reaching the alternate airport, the pilot performed a fly-by and ground personnel confirmed that the landing gear was not fully extended. The pilot elected to perform a wheels-up landing. Postaccident examination of the airplane confirmed that the landing gear would not fully extend. Further examination revealed damage to the nose landing gear steering stops, the nose landing gear down lock mechanism, and the nose landing gear wheel well sidewall. The damage to the nose landing gear was consistent with exceeding the steering limits of the nose landing gear during ground handling.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.