Piper PA-24-250 accident near Madison, Mississippi, June 10, 2007
On June 10, 2007 at about 10:51 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N987MD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, Mississippi (Bruce Campbell Field). 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 pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2007 · about 10:51 pm local time
- Place
- Madison, Mississippi · Bruce Campbell Field · 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
- N987MD · no longer on the register · serial 21-1107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot failed to extend the landing gear and the airplane landed gear-up. The 7,576-hour private pilot informed local police and the NTSB that he "simply forgot" to extend the landing gear prior to landing on the 4444-foot-long, by 75-foot wide asphalt runway. The single-engine airplane landed on its belly and skidded to a stop before a fire erupted. The pilot and his passenger were able to egress the airplane and were not injured. The pilot, who reported having accumulated 6,626-hours in the same make and model, reported that he did not recall hearing the sound of the landing gear horn prior to touchdown and suspected the horn may have not worked. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane sustained extensive post impact fire damage, and the landing gear handle was found in the retracted position. The accident occurred at the conclusion of a 45 minute cross-country flight.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,576 hours in all; 6,626 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 7,576 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,681.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2007; 24.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming 2D36C28 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: STF Starkville MS at 5:45 pm
- Destination: MBO Madison MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,444 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:30 pm from MBO
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.