Piper PA-44-180 accident near Grand Forks, North Dakota, July 15, 2012
On July 15, 2012 at about 4:20 am local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N580ND, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Grand Forks, North Dakota (Grand Forks International airport). It was an instructional 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 pilot receiving instruction's failure to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor his student's actions during the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2012 · about 4:20 am local time
- Place
- Grand Forks, North Dakota · Grand Forks International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N580ND · registry record · serial 4496257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction reported that during the downwind leg, after the flight instructor had simulated a single-engine failure of the twin-engine airplane, he began to fall behind on completing required checklist items, and, as result, he inadvertently forgot to extend the landing gear. He recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn while on the crosswind leg but reportedly was too distracted with flying the airplane to extend the landing gear at that point. He reported seeing sparks and hearing a grinding noise upon touchdown, at which time he also recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn. The flight instructor recalled that the airplane tail impacted the runway shortly after the pilot receiving instruction reduced engine power during the landing flare. The flight instructor noted that he heard the landing gear warning horn shortly after the airplane made contact with the runway. The airplane slid 200 to 300 feet on the lower fuselage before coming to a stop. A postaccident examination revealed that the landing gear selector handle was in the "UP" position. The landing gear extended normally into a down-and-locked position after the airplane was lifted off the ground and the landing gear selector handle was placed into the "DOWN" position. The operator reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally.
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 Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Student pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 766 hours in all; 281 in this make and model; 149 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 664 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 10, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 221 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 36 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 31, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,950 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 13, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-A1H6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: University Of North Dakota
The flight
- Departed from: KGFK Grand Forks ND at 3:00 am
- Destination: KGFK Grand Forks ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35L, 7,351 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KGFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.