Piper PA31 accident near Buckland, Alaska, April 18, 2020
On April 18, 2020 at about 10:30 pm local time, a 1984 Piper PA31, registered N88TG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Buckland, Alaska (Candle 2 airport). It was a personal 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing due to distraction by the condition of the runway and his failure to use the Before Landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2020 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Buckland, Alaska · Candle 2 · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31 350, built 1984 · all PA31s on the register
- Registration
- N88TG · registry record · serial 31-8452020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, due to weather in the local area, he chose to conduct a straight-in landing approach rather than overfly the runway. After slowing the airspeed, he selected 15° of flaps, moved the landing gear down, and then selected full flaps. After landing, he realized that the landing gear were not extended, so he checked the landing gear handle and saw that it was in the neutral position and that no landing gear indicator lights were illuminated. The pilot reported that, when he moved the landing gear handle, he must have failed to place it in the full-down position; he added that he was distracted by standing water on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation and added that the accident might have been prevented if he had followed the Before Landing checklist and not allowed the distractions and deviation from routine to alter his normal procedures.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 24,946 hours in all; 12,330 in this make and model; 196 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 24,627 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,793.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540 J2BD (piston); 5,260 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTIO-540 J2BD (piston); 2,123 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fairbanks AK
- Destination: AK75 Buckland AK
- Runway 20, 3,880 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Observation at 10:29 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 ANC20CA044.