Piper PA-31-310 accident near Manokotak, Alaska, May 26, 2005
On May 26, 2005 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N65MR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manokotak, Alaska (Manokotak airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to use the checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 2005 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Manokotak, Alaska · Manokotak · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N65MR · registry record · serial 31-347
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot reported that during the base leg portion of his approach to the airport, he lowered partial flaps, but did not lower the landing gear. As the approach to the airport continued, the pilot said he failed to complete the landing checklist, and landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane received structural damage to the fuselage, necessitating replacement/repair of several bulkheads, and a large area of belly skin from the nose wheel to the tail.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- WHEELS UP LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 4,792 hours in all; 64 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,775 hours
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PADL Dillingham AK at 6:15 pm
- Destination: 17Z Manokotak AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scattered at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°C, dew point 34°C
- Altimeter: 29.620001 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from PADL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC05CA078.