Piper PA-24-250 N6886P

Summary

On 10 June 2023 at about 18:15 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N6886P was involved in an accident near Watkins, Colorado, United States. One person was 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

10 June 2023 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Watkins, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Colorado Air and Spaceport (CFO)

Coordinates

39.7937, -104.5498

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N6886P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Watkins → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN23LA253

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to utilize the prelanding checklist to ensure the landing gear was extended before landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that shortly before touchdown he noticed the landing gear selector still in the up position. The pilot moved the selector to the down position, but the landing gear were unable to fully extend before touchdown. The bottom of the fuselage was substantially damage during the wheels-up landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Additionally, the pilot reported he did not use a prelanding checklist to ensure that the landing was extended before touchdown.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.