Piper PA-34-220T accident near Corpus Christi, Texas, May 13, 2026
On May 13, 2026 at about 7:42 pm local time, a 1985 Piper PA-34-220T, registered N6915Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Corpus Christi, Texas (Corpus Christi International A 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 pilot's failure to extend the main landing gear prior to landing, which resulted in a gear up landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction during the approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 13, 2026 · about 7:42 pm local time
- Place
- Corpus Christi, Texas · Corpus Christi International A · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T, built 1985 · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N6915Z · registry record · serial 34-8533003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was instructed to navigate to the runway by approach control. During the approach, the pilot was instructed to change runways. The pilot reported that he forgot to extend the main landing gear because he was distracted due to the request to transition to a different runway. The airplane landed in a gear-up configuration on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage keel beams. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported that the accident sequence involved “distracting circumstances.”
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Evacuation during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 20,179 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 148 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 5,885 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 16, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,916 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 2025; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental Motors TSIO360KB (piston); 1,335 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors TSIO360KB (piston); 1,335 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RFG Refugio TX at 7:24 pm
- Destination: CRP Corpus Christi TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,080 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KCRP, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCRP 131951Z 06007KT 10SM FEW037 FEW050 31/18 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP173 T03060178
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N6915Z 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 CEN26LA188.