Piper PA-30 accident near Roanoke, Texas, March 2, 2012
On March 2, 2012 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N373JT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Roanoke, Texas (Northwest Regional 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 follow the published emergency procedures to lower the landing gear following a loss of electrical power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 2, 2012 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Roanoke, Texas · Northwest Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N373JT · no longer on the register · serial 30-850
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was on a cross-country flight and he noticed that the alternators were producing about 9 volts. He tried to troubleshoot the problem, and he switched the alternators off and on a “number” of times, but he was unable to get them to indicate more than 8 to 9 volts (the pilot used the term "alternator" and "generator" interchangeably in his statement). He said that he heard a “squeal” coming through the headset, and when the right alternator was switched off, the noise would stop. He said that he eventually lost radio communication capability while en route to his destination, and he diverted to an alternate airport. The pilot lowered the landing gear on the downwind leg, and he observed that the nose landing gear was extended by its reflection in the spinner. The landing roll was “normal” until the right main landing gear collapsed, and then the left main landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the landing gear did not disclose any evidence of a mechanical malfunction. The pilot reported that he lost all electrical power due to a loss of one or both alternators. It is likely that the right alternator failed, so when the pilot turned off the right failed alternator, the noise stopped; however, the left alternator could not put out enough voltage to power the radios and other electrical demands. By the time the gear was lowered, there was not enough power to lock the left and right main landing gears in place, so they both collapsed during the landing roll. Had the pilot realized that he had lost electrical power and followed the emergency checklist, he could have verified the locked status of the landing gear and followed the emergency landing gear procedures to extend the gear.
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 collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › DC generation system › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20R Crystal City TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: DTO Denton TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from AFW, 6 miles away
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.