Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Spring, Texas, November 18, 2010
On November 18, 2010 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N8320H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Spring, Texas (David Wayne Hooks Memorial 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
The failure of the right landing gear down-lock mechanism to fully engage. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inability to verify the landing gear extension due to the inoperative alternator.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2010 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spring, Texas · David Wayne Hooks Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8320H · registry record · serial 28R-8131057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after departure the airplane experienced an electrical failure. The pilot elected to return to his departure airport for landing. He performed an emergency landing gear extension; however, with no electrical power remaining, he could not verify that the landing gear was down and locked via the gear position lights. Seconds after the airplane touched down on the runway, the right landing gear collapsed. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted a runway light, coming to rest in an upright and right-wing-low position adjacent to the runway. The airplane’s right wing spar and right aileron were substantially damaged during the accident. An examination of the right landing gear revealed that the downlock mechanism had not fully engaged, thus resulting in its collapse. The electrical failure was due to an inoperative alternator.
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
- Electrical system malf/failure during enroute
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Alternator › generator drive sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 361 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 176 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,857 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 12, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Spring TX at 5:00 pm
- Destination: DZB Horseshoe Bay TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 7,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 102°F (39°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N8320H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.