Probable cause
The student's and flight instructor’s failure to ensure that the landing gear was extended prior to landing.
NTSB analysis
The accident occurred during an instructional flight while practicing landings. The flight instructor reported that he became distracted while teaching his student and forgot to ensure that the landing gear was extended before landing. He stated that the landing gear warning horn came on just before the airplane landed gear up, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA435 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 20, 2012
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Madera, California
- Nearest airport
- Madera Municipal (MAE)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA24
- N-number
- N8648P
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.