Piper PA-44-180 accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, November 1, 2008
On November 1, 2008 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N2214N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lawrenceville, Georgia (Gwinnett County 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
The failure of the nose gear drag link bolt due to reversed bending fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 1, 2008 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia · Gwinnett County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2214N · no longer on the register · serial 44-7995226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During touchdown following a practice ILS approach, the nose gear collapsed, resulting in structural damage to the airplane. Examination of the nose gear assembly revealed that the nose gear drag link bolt failed. The bolt was installed on the airplane approximately 441 flight hours prior to the accident, and Piper Service Bulletin (SB) 1156 requires operators to replace the bolt at 500-hour intervals due to a history of fatigue failures. Examination of the failed bolt revealed that it met design specifications for hardness, surface roughness, and microstructure. Further examination indicated that the bolt failed from reversed bending fatigue. The failure mode was atypical of the failure mode that prompted issuance of the SB.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 846 hours in all; 71 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 310 hours in all
- Last flight review: September 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,802 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 29, 2008; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight School Of Gwinnett INC
The flight
- Departed from: KLZU Lawrenceville GA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: KLZU Lawrenceville GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.45 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from KLZU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.