Piper PA-32R-300 accident near Concord, North Carolina, January 1, 2010
On January 1, 2010 at about 1:45 am local time, a Piper PA-32R-300, registered N8985C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Concord, North Carolina (Concord Regional airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A missing right main landing gear aft trunnion mount attachment nut.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2010 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Concord, North Carolina · Concord Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N8985C · registry record · serial 32R-7680147
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing following an uneventful flight, the right main landing gear collapsed. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration found that an attachment bolt and retainer assembly had backed out of the aft landing gear trunnion assembly. The landing gear then separated at the aft trunnion. The barrel nut that held the attachment bolt was missing, and was not subsequently located. The inspector also noted no evidence of any pertinent maintenance performed within the previous year. Following the accident, the operator inspected all 30 fleet airplanes with no similar anomalies noted. In addition, all aircraft maintenance technicians were briefed on the accident and alerted to the area where the gear attachment hardware separated.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear attach sec › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,430 hours in all; 708 in this make and model; 2,295 as pilot in command; 505 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 20, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,664 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 5, 2009; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ram Air Freight Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: RDU Raleigh NC
- Destination: JQF Concord NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 7,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 0 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from JQF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA10LA108.