Piper PA-30 accident near Plant City, Florida, July 10, 2011
On July 10, 2011 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N325EE, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Plant City, Florida (Plant City Airport). 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 failure of a screw in the nose landing gear aligner assembly for undetermined reasons, which prevented the landing gear from fully extending.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2011 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Plant City, Florida · Plant City Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N325EE · registry record · serial 30-1537
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he departed and proceeded to a nearby airport where he performed six touch-and-go takeoffs and landings followed by one full-stop landing, all of which were uneventful. Before landing during the return flight, the pilot lowered the landing gear lever and observed that there were no landing gear down-and-locked indications and that the landing gear circuit breaker (CB) was tripped. The pilot reset the CB and attempted to raise then lower the landing gear; however, the landing gear failed to fully extend, and the landing gear CB tripped again. Attempts to extend the landing gear using the emergency extension lever in accordance with the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, using G-loading, and following guidance from maintenance personnel were unsuccessful. The pilot performed a fly-by and was informed that the landing gear appeared to be partially extended. The pilot turned off the fuel and master and placed the mixture controls to idle-cutoff. At touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left, then the nose. The airplane came to rest on the runway. Postaccident examination of the nose landing gear revealed that a screw was broken off in the first thread of the nose landing gear aligner assembly. The head of the screw and associated bushings were separated and not located. No determination was made for the reason for the fractured screw. The manufacturer’s assessment indicated there have been no service difficulty reports pertaining to the screw.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 4,500 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 275 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,388 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ZPH Zephyrhills FL at 6:45 pm
- Destination: PCM Plant City FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10, 3,948 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,500 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from PCM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on December 29, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Parts Catalog | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. View Showing the Damage to the Right Wing. | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. View of the Bellcrank Assembly Which Is Part of the Nose Landing Gear Aligner Assembly. Captions Depicting the Structure, and Bellcrank Assembly Were Provi | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.