Piper PA-24-250 accident near Shawnee, Oklahoma, May 14, 2012
On May 14, 2012 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N7171P, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was a ferry 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 improper installation of the mixture cable by maintenance personnel, which allowed the mixture cable to entangle with the landing gear during gear extension and led to the subsequent loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2012 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shawnee, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7171P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2339
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting the second leg of the airplane’s first flight after a recent engine overhaul. On final approach, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle; however, he did not receive confirmation that the landing gear was down. The pilot stated that he applied a lot of force to conduct the manual gear override but that he was not able to get the handle up. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power. The airplane was substantially damaged during the subsequent forced landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the mixture cable was bent, the cable was pulled from its last clamp prior to the carburetor mixture control, and the mixture control was pulled into the cutoff position. The routing of the mixture cable did not match assembly drawings, and several clamps used to route the mixture cable were missing. A grease fitting on the over-center link for the nose landing gear was in line with the bend in the mixture cable. Most likely, the landing gear center link became entangled in the mixture control cable, which prevented the nose landing gear from extending. The mixture likely came to idle when the pilot used extra force to try to extend the landing gear. The mixture cable was not installed properly during the recent engine overhaul.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (partial) during maneuvering defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,156 hours in all; 356 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,004 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 28, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,222 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 25, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHSD Oklahoma City OK at 6:15 pm
- Destination: KSNL Shawnee OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,600 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KSNL, 1 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.