Piper PA-30 accident near Jackson, Michigan, December 15, 2002
On December 15, 2002 at about 3:59 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N948SB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Michigan (Jackson County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the checklist and extend the landing gear resulting in a gear up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2002 · about 3:59 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Michigan · Jackson County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N948SB · no longer on the register · serial 30-1817
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a gear-up landing on a grass area adjacent to a runway following a loss of electrical power immediately after takeoff. The pilot stated that after the loss of electrical power, he was unable to extend the landing gear. The pilot then performed a manual landing gear extension, which resulted in a partial extension. He stated that he did the prescribed crank down procedure by pumping the landing gear handle about 50 times. The airplane's manual gear extension procedure requires rotating a gear extension handle; there is no pumping involved. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that both generator switches were in the "off" position, which according to the pretakeoff checklist are to be in the "on" position. No anomalies were noted with the airplane's electrical system. Inspection of the airplane revealed that there was no written checklist and no emergency landing gear extension handle aboard the airplane. The pilot stated that he used the handle to prop the door open for the gear-up landing.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 1,600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 11, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,295.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2002; 0.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JXN Jackson MI at 2:55 pm
- Destination: JXN
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 24, 5,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Observation at 3:59 pm from JXN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.