Piper PA-30 accident near Navasota, Texas, December 28, 2020
On December 28, 2020 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA-30, registered N1236, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Navasota, Texas (Navasota Muni airport). It was a personal 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 before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 2020 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Navasota, Texas · Navasota Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30, built 1966 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N1236 · registry record · serial 30-1167
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he recently purchased the accident airplane to transition from large airplanes back to small airplanes. He conducted a normal, uneventful flight. When he approached the airport to land, he went through the “GUMP” checklist twice. However, when the airplane touched down onto the runway the landing gear was retracted which resulted in substantial damage to the underlying structure of the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation During a postaccident telephone conversation, the pilot mentioned that he accidentally merged the “GUMPS” check with a checklist he commonly used for large airplanes. He further reported that the airplane was not equipped with a landing gear horn, therefore, he was not alerted of the unsafe landing gear condition. He further stated that a landing gear warning horn will be installed on the airplane during the repair process.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › (general) › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,200 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 9,853 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 6, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,999 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 734 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 738 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,003 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from K11R, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): K11R 282235Z AUTO 13006KT 10SM BKN080 24/14 A3016 RMK AO2 T02350139
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.
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 CEN21LA105.