Piper PA-34-200T accident near Mount Holly, New Jersey, July 27, 2009
On July 27, 2009 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N1494X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Mount Holly, New Jersey (South Jersey Regional Airport). It was a positioning 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
A hard landing on an unknown date, resulting in damage to the left main landing gear support fitting.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2009 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Holly, New Jersey · South Jersey Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N1494X · no longer on the register · serial 34-7570262
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to departure, the pilot asked the director of maintenance (DOM) to look at the landing gear switches on the airplane as the in-transit light was remaining illuminated. The DOM examined both main gear switches and cleaned the left main landing gear as it had mud and dirt on it. On previous flights, as well as the flight before the accident, the pilot also observed that the gear unsafe light had remained illuminated until the landing gear was lowered and retracted. During the accident flight, when the landing gear was retracted, the gear unsafe light remained illuminated. This time when the pilot arrived at his destination, and extended the landing gear, the left main landing gear down light would not illuminate. The pilot then retracted and extended the landing gear and the light still would not illuminate. He then retracted and lowered the landing gear several times until finally after a short and unusual delay, the left main landing gear down light illuminated. Postaccident examination of fragments of the left forward main landing gear support fitting revealed that it failed in overstress possibly as a result of a hard landing. The landing gear had shifted from its normal mounting position and the main spar had been damaged. Maintenance records revealed that 6.9 hours after a scheduled 50 hour service unscheduled maintenance was performed. Both main tires and tubes were replaced and the wheel bearings were cleaned, inspected, and repacked. A review of the airplane's maintenance records, and daily flight log did not reveal the entry of any discrepancies that accounted for the unscheduled maintenance to replace the tires and tubes or the mud on the gear switches. Furthermore, none of the repetitive gear problems which had been reported by the pilot prior to the accident had been entered into the maintenance records nor had any corrective actions been entered.
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
- Unknown or undetermined
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,100 hours in all; 3,650 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 8,950 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 5, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,310 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 26, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental LTSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Transport Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 39N Princeton NJ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: VAY Mount Holly NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,911 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from VAY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.