Piper PA 31P accident near Killeen, Texas, April 30, 2016
On April 30, 2016 at about 2:30 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA 31P, registered N192CS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Killeen, Texas (Skylark Field). It was a business 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 extend the landing gear due to his distraction with the flaps, his misinterpretation of the landing gear warning horn, and his failure to verify that the landing gear were down, which resulted in a landing with the gear retracted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2016 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Killeen, Texas · Skylark Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 31P UNDESIGNAT, built 1973 · all PA 31Ps on the register
- Registration
- N192CS · registry record · serial 31P-7300138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had departed on the business flight but decided to return to the airport to wait for the weather to improve. He indicated that, on approach, he lowered the flaps to 15° to slow the airplane to within "gear down speed." The pilot noticed that the flaps continued past 15°, and he took his hand off the landing gear lever and raised the flaps back up to the fully retracted position. The pilot overshot the runway on the turn to final. As he attempted to align the airplane with the runway centerline, he heard a warning horn, which he thought was the stall warning horn. He then landed on the runway with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage frame and stringers. After the accident, the pilot stated he had mistaken the gear-up warning horn for the stall warning horn. The pilot also said he did not visually check the landing gear indicator lights or look at the mirrors to verify the landing gear was down.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 7,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIGO-541SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIGO-541SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ILE Killeen TX
- Destination: ILE Killeen TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 5,495 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm
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.