Piper PA-24-180 accident near Amarillo, Texas, July 4, 2011
On July 4, 2011 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N5621P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Amarillo, Texas (Rick Husband Amarillo 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2011 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · Rick Husband Amarillo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N5621P · no longer on the register · serial 24-690
- 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, he was preoccupied with flying duties and forgot to lower the landing gear prior to landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage during the landing. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T94 San Antonio TX at 7:30 pm
- Destination: AMA Amarillo TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 22, 13,502 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KAMA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.