Piper PA-24 accident near Hugo, Oklahoma, January 17, 2024
On January 17, 2024, a 1960 Piper PA-24, registered N7059P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hugo, Oklahoma (Stan Stamper Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The binding of a main landing gear push-pull cable, which rendered the landing gear inoperative in a partially retracted position. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s delay in executing a landing, which led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 2024
- Place
- Hugo, Oklahoma · Stan Stamper Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24, built 1960 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N7059P · registry record · serial 24-2209
- 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 after takeoff, he retracted the landing gear but did not receive an “Up” indication. He then lowered the landing gear and noted a “Down” indication but did not receive an “Up” indication upon subsequent retraction of the landing gear a second time. The pilot elected to continue the flight with the landing gear not fully retracted. As the airplane approached its destination, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear. The circuit breaker tripped and the landing gear motor stopped. The pilot attempted to reset the circuit breaker and cycled the landing gear several times, but the breaker continued to trip and he did not receive either gear “Up” or “Down” indications. The pilot performed a flyby of the airport, and ground observers signaled to him that the landing gear was not extended. He attempted the emergency landing gear extension procedure, but the gear extension lever would not move. The pilot noted that he circled the airport for about 40 minutes while he attempting to diagnose the landing gear issues. He ultimately decided to land with the landing gear not fully extended, and he continued to perform flybys to evaluate the terrain adjacent to the runway for landing. After determining the location where he would perform the landing, the pilot conducted prelanding checks, which included selecting the fullest fuel tank based on the fuel gauge readings. While maneuvering the airplane to land, the airplane’s engine stopped producing power, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby field. The airplane struck small trees during the landing and then impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. After the accident, the push-pull cables were disconnected at the main landing gear, and the gear motor released via the emergency extension release lever, the emergency extension handle still had significant resistance to movement consistent with binding of the main landing gear push pull cables. A postaccident examination also revealed that the left tank, which the pilot reported was the tank with more fuel indicated, was empty. The right tank (which had less fuel indicated) still had about 5 gallons of fuel remaining. After the accident, the fuel selector was found turned to the left (empty) tank. Based on the available evidence, one of the main landing gear push-pull cables became bound, which locked the landing gear in a partially retracted position. Which cable was bound and the reason that the cable was bound was not determined. The loss of engine power while troubleshooting the landing gear was the result of fuel starvation.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
- Fuel starvation during approach
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,316 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 12,825 as pilot in command; 8,545 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 4, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,651 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 4,651 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2R0 Waynesboro MS at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point -4°F (-20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.40 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from KHHW
Weather report (METAR): KHHW 170015Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR M07/M20 A3040 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7059P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN24LA091.