Piper PA-44-180 incident near Jacksonville, Florida, July 31, 2014
On July 31, 2014 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA-44-180, registered N216FW, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Jacksonville, Florida (Cecil 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 nose landing gear collapse for reasons that could not be determined because examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2014 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Cecil Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180, built 1979 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N216FW · registry record · serial 447995181
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The two pilots, both of whom were flight instructors, were practicing a single-engine approach and landing when the incident occurred. Both pilots reported that all three landing gear position lights indicated that the landing gear were down and locked before landing, and the pilot flying described the landing as "normal." During the landing roll, the pilot not flying observed the landing gear position lights flicker, and the nose landing gear subsequently collapsed. The airplane was subsequently placed on jacks, and the landing gear were cycled. The landing gear extended, locked, and retracted normally, and the flickering of the gear position lights could not be replicated.
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 Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,801 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Atp Aircraft 2 LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: VQQ Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18L, 12,503 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from VQQ
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.