Piper PA-30 accident near Monte Vista, Colorado, February 6, 1992
On February 6, 1992 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N1509, was substantially damaged in an accident near Monte Vista, Colorado (Monte Vista 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN EQUIPMENT BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND, AND JAMMED LANDING GEAR EXTENSION MECHANISMS DUE TO CORROSION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1992 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Monte Vista, Colorado · Monte Vista · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N1509 · registry record · serial 30-798
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS REPORTEDLY CONDUCTING THE FLIGHT TO BRING THE AIRCRAFT FROM ITS HOME BASE TO ANOTHER FACILITY FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION. WHEN HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR FOR HIS ARRIVAL, THE GEAR FAILED TO EXTEND. AFTER EXHAUSTING ALL POSSIBLE ALTERNATE METHODS OF GEAR EXTENSION, THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,771 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 1991; 330 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Taos NM at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 2, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN92LA030.