Piper PA-34-200T accident near Cahokia, Illinois, February 15, 2023
On February 15, 2023 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA-34-200T, registered N7681F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Cahokia, Illinois (St Louis Downtown Parks 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 extent the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2023 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Cahokia, Illinois · St Louis Downtown Parks · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T, built 1976 · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N7681F · registry record · serial 34-7770066
- 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 was performing touch and go landings. On the fourth traffic pattern, the controller requested that he turn inside of the airplane that was on final approach. The pilot stated that he delayed extending the landing gear until he turned the airplane onto the final approach leg. After he reduced the airspeed, he selected flaps and extended the landing gear. During the landing, the pilot “heard the sound of metal” and realized that the landing gear was not extended. The pilot reported that when he moved the landing gear handle, he did not see the unsafe landing gear warning light, nor was there a landing gear warning horn. The airplane sustained damage to the lower fuselage. The mechanic that recovered the airplane after the accident reported that the landing gear extended normally, and the landing gear warning horn was audible. Further, the pilot reported to the responding inspector that he had just forgot to extend the landing gear.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,854 hours in all; 1,059 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,711 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 5, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,982 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 4,571 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne LTSIO360E2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne TSIO360E2B (piston); 1,998 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCPS Cahokia IL at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30L, 7,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KCPS
Weather report (METAR): KCPS 152053Z 33003KT 10SM CLR 16/04 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP126 T01560039 57002
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation - Head Mechanic | 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.