Piper PA-30 accident near Key West, Florida, June 24, 2000
On June 24, 2000 at about 3:01 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8629Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key West, Florida (Key West International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A landing gear collapse resulting from the pilot's unsuccessful attempt to complete the manual gear extension due to physical strength overload. A factor was the complete electrical system failure during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2000 · about 3:01 pm local time
- Place
- Key West, Florida · Key West International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8629Y · registry record · serial 30-1770
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot originally departed Bowling Green, Ohio, with his wife and another passenger, en route to Key West, Florida. While en route, the airplane experienced several complete electrical system failures. While over Cape Canaveral, Florida, the airplane experienced an electrical failure and one of the passengers assisted the pilot in manually lowering the landing gear. During one diversion, the airplane's battery was charged and replaced, and on another occasion the right alternator and a broken wire from the left alternator were replaced. Prior to the reaching Key West, the one passenger who assisted the pilot in manually lowering the landing gear returned to Ohio by car. While en route to the final destination, the airplane experienced another electrical system failure 14 miles north of Key West. The pilot attempted to manually lower the landing gear, but lacked enough 'muscle' to physically lower the landing gear in the down and locked position. Upon touching down on runway 9, the airplane's landing gear collapsed.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,696 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 20, 2000; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: EYW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 4,801 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from EYW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.