Piper PA-34-200 accident near Provo, Utah, June 9, 2001
On June 9, 2001 at about 6:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N303RC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Provo, Utah (Provo 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
inadvertent retraction of the landing gear by the pilot rated student during landing roll. A contributing factors was the failure of the instructor to adequately supervise the student.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2001 · about 6:55 pm local time
- Place
- Provo, Utah · Provo Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N303RC · registry record · serial 34-7250016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor told an FAA inspector that he and his commercial-rated student had been in the pattern doing landings. He further stated that they came in "a little fast and when we touched down we ballooned." The pilot receiving instruction stated that "we were doing landings and approached a little fast and when the airplane touched down, we ballooned back into the air...the instructor was yelling at me and in the confusion I was not exactly sure what the instructor was saying." When the airplane touched down a second time, the right main and nose landing gear collapsed, and the propellers hit the runway. The flight instructor stated that "the student is believed to have inadvertently moved the gear selector switch from the down position to the up position causing the landing gear to retract."
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 879 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 829 as pilot in command; 573 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 27, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 749 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 74 in the last 30 days; 690 as pilot in command; 460 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 12, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 10, 2001
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-360-CES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-360-CIE6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPVU Provo UT
- Destination: Provo UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 8,600 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KPVU
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.