Piper PA28R accident near Corpus Cristi, Texas, June 4, 2020
On June 4, 2020 at about 5:19 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA28R, registered N533K, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Corpus Cristi, Texas (Corpus Christi International airport). It was a personal 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's failure to utilze the emergency landing gear extension procedure after a short-circuit within the normal landing gear system, which resulted in a landing gear collapse during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2020 · about 5:19 pm local time
- Place
- Corpus Cristi, Texas · Corpus Christi International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R 201T, built 1977 · all PA28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N533K · registry record · serial 28R-7703201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that during a visual approach for landing at the destination airport, the landing gear position indicator did not indicate that the landing gear was down and locked after it was selected down. The pilot reported he requested a fly by the air traffic control tower, which confirmed the landing gear was extended and cleared the airplane to land. During landing rollout, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane impacted the runway surface resulting in structural damage to the external longerons on the bottom of the fuselage. During recovery of the airplane, it was noted the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. The circuit breaker was reset, the master switch selected on, and the landing gear was lowered using the landing gear handle. A postaccident functional test of the landing gear using the normal and emergency extension procedures revealed the landing gear extended without incident. The pilot further reported that after maintenance personnel removed the cockpit multifunction displays, he found a piece of screw/nut on the contacts of the landing gear control handle behind the instrument panel, which most-likely created a short-circuit and caused the landing gear circuit breaker to pop. The pilot did not use the airplane's emergency landing gear extension procedure to extend the landing gear during the accident flight.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 308 hours in all; 148 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 232 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 19, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,431 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,880 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-F (piston); 2,431 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5C1 Boerne TX at 3:00 pm
- Destination: CRP Corpus Cristi TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 7,510 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:30 pm from CRP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 10, 2020. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Correspodence - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo of Wreckage | 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.