Piper PA 28R-201 accident near Pontiac, Michigan, April 9, 2017
On April 9, 2017 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA 28R-201, registered N36458, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pontiac, Michigan (Oakland County Intl 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
Maintenance personnel’s improper securing of an unused instrument lamp socket during recent maintenance, which resulted in an electrical short of the landing gear controls and stopped the landing gear while it was transitioning to the down position and led to the landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2017 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pontiac, Michigan · Oakland County Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28R-201 201, built 1978 · all PA 28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N36458 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7837279
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting touch-and-go landings and as the private pilot landed the airplane for the third time, the right main landing gear and nose landing gear collapsed, and the right wing was partially separated from the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that maintenance personnel had improperly secured an unused instrument lamp socket during recent maintenance, which allowed an electrical short of the landing gear controls. The landing gear control circuit breaker tripped, which stopped the landing gear from fully extending while it was transitioning to the down position. It also rendered the landing gear indicators and warnings inoperative so the pilot was unaware the landing gear was not fully extended.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Land gear sys wiring › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,749 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PTK Pontiac MI
- Destination: PTK Pontiac MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 5,676 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 23,000 ft; a few clouds at 16,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KPTK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 12, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.