Piper PA-34-220T incident near Sturgis, Michigan, April 20, 2002
On April 20, 2002 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N92721, suffered minor damage in an incident near Sturgis, Michigan (Kirsch Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flightcrew not following the landing checklist, the flightcrew not lowering the landing gear, and the flight examiner's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2002 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sturgis, Michigan · Kirsch Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N92721 · no longer on the register · serial 3447019
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a Joint Aviation Authority (JAA) commercial pilot checkride the airplane was landed with the landing gear in the fully retracted position. The student pilot reported that she verbally completed the landing checklist and, "... failed to see that there were not 3 green lights." The JAA flight examiner stated, "I did not check the 3 green lights myself." The airplane was hoisted off the ground and when the landing gear selector handle was placed in the gear-down position the landing gear extended without any anomalies. No anomalies were found with the landing gear system that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,062 hours in all; 1,130 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 6,240 as pilot in command; 2,200 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 24, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 39 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,608 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 17, 2002; 7.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,773 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-360-KB32 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental LTSIO-360KB14 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTL Battle Creek MI at 6:50 pm
- Destination: IRS Sturgis MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,700 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from AZO, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
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.