Piper PA-24-260 N9024P

Summary

On 14 March 2026 at about 16:32 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N9024P was involved in an accident near Athens, Georgia, 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

14 March 2026 at 16:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Athens, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Athens/Ben Epps (AHN)

Coordinates

33.9492, -83.3248

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N9024P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seneca → Athens

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA150

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear 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, during a straight-in landing approach, he inadvertently landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane remained on the runway and slid to a stop, after which the pilot realized the landing gear handle was still in the up position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A mechanic examined the airplane after the accident and confirmed that the landing gear system, including the position warning horn, functioned normally.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.