Piaggio P180 accident near Greensboro, North Carolina, March 1, 2010
On March 1, 2010 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piaggio P180, registered N29JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Greensboro, North Carolina (Piedmont Triad International airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to properly configure the landing gear for landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention looking for traffic and manipulating the secondary trim controls.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2010 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Greensboro, North Carolina · Piedmont Triad International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piaggio P180 · all P180s on the register
- Registration
- N29JS · no longer on the register · serial 1046
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after takeoff, he experienced a primary trim failure and continued to the destination using secondary trim. The pilot stated that during final approach his airspeed was too high to lower the landing gear. The pilot "continued working the trim," and was looking for any traffic in the pattern. In the landing flare, he heard "an unusual noise like something scraping," performed a go-around, and realized he had not extended the landing gear. The pilot then extended the gear and landed without incident. Inspection of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the airplane's fuselage.
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 not configured during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 1,162 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 16, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-6 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-6 SERIES (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 11:05 am
- Destination: GSO Greensboro NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23L, 10,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from GSO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.