Piper PA-24-250 accident near Durango, Colorado, July 2, 2023
On July 2, 2023 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 1961 Piper PA-24-250, registered N7525P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Durango, Colorado (Animas Air Park 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).
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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
- July 2, 2023 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Durango, Colorado · Animas Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250, built 1961 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N7525P · registry record · serial 24-2727
- 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 forgot to lower the landing gear before landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. He stated that he believed his noise cancelling headset contributed to not hearing the gear warning horn. He stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Following the accident, when power was applied to the airplane, the gear warning horn sounded and when the landing gear handle was moved to the down position, all three gear 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
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 27,460 hours in all; 183 in this make and model; 16,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,003.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 1, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D5 (piston); 2,066 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCFO Watkins CO at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 19, 5,010 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KDRO, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDRO 021853Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM CLR 29/03 A3023 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT NE SLP141 T02890033 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 CEN23LA274.