Piper PA 31-350 accident near Chicago, Illinois, February 16, 2015
On February 16, 2015 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA 31-350, registered N727SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Midway International airport). It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The collapse of the nose and right main landing gears during landing for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2015 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois · Chicago Midway International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 31-350 350, built 1973 · all PA 31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N727SC · registry record · serial 31-7305110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he executed a normal approach for landing. During the approach, the pilot lowered the landing gear and verified the extended position by checking the landing gear position indicators in the cockpit. Upon touchdown on the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and then the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane then exited the runway surface and came to rest upright. The right wing sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,085 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 6,261 as pilot in command; 1,211 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 25, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 3,908 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTI0-540-J2BD (piston); 3,908 hours total
- Operator: Solutions Air Charter
The flight
- Departed from: MQJ Indianapolis IN at 7:45 pm
- Destination: MDW Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4R, 6,445 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point -6°F (-21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 9:14 pm from MDW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN15LA147.