Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Liberal, Kansas, March 20, 2025
On March 20, 2025 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N38871, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Liberal, Kansas (Liberal Mid America Regional 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 due to distraction and his failure to conduct the prelanding checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2025 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Liberal, Kansas · Liberal Mid America Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T, built 1977 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N38871 · registry record · serial 28R-7703281
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, he heard a slapping noise outside the right front door of the airplane. He determined that the seatbelt was outside the door, and he decided to land to fix it. While on a midfield downwind to the runway, another pilot radioed that he was entering the vicinity of the airport to land. The accident pilot stated that he attempted to gauge the other pilot’s proximity to the airport and prepare himself for a crosswind landing and forgot to complete his prelanding checklist, which included lowering the landing gear. The airplane landed gear up, which resulted in substantial damage to the longerons on the belly of the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other aircraft › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 62 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 10, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,730 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental T5IO-360-FB (piston); 2,223 hours total
- Operator: Arrow Blue N38871 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: LBL Liberal KS at 5:30 pm
- Destination: LBL Liberal KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 7,105 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 210° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 12:56 pm from KLBL
Weather report (METAR): KLBL 201756Z AUTO 21015G20KT 10SM CLR 13/M07 A3022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on July 17, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | 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.