Piper PA-24-250 accident near Sterling, Colorado, August 22, 2004
On August 22, 2004 at about 1:55 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N5975P, was destroyed in an accident near Sterling, Colorado (Sterling Municipal airport). It was a personal 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 failure of the landing gear extension system for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2004 · about 1:55 am local time
- Place
- Sterling, Colorado · Sterling Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5975P · no longer on the register · serial 241068
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after several attempts to extend the landing gear, he manually extended the landing gear. After a "slow" landing and a "brief" rollout, the landing gear collapsed. The airplane settled onto the runway, slid approximately 200 feet and came to a stop on the runway centerline. Within a few moments a fire ensued, destroying the airplane. A witness stated that the airplane landed on its tires and then rolled several feet before the landing gear collapsed. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 103 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 26, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,002 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2004; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: IML Imperial NE at 1:15 am
- Destination: STK Sterling CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 4,730 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KAKO, 26 miles away
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.