Piper PA34 accident near Thomasville, Georgia, December 3, 2017
On December 3, 2017 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1981 Piper PA34, registered N8328V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Thomasville, Georgia (Thomasville Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A stone becoming lodged in a left main landing gear (MLG) drag link, which resulted in the failure of the left MLG to extend and lock.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2017 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Thomasville, Georgia · Thomasville Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA34 200T, built 1981 · all PA34s on the register
- Registration
- N8328V · registry record · serial 34-8170084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the commercial pilot was lowering the landing gear for the approach to landing, the left main landing gear (MLG) did not indicate down and locked. The pilot cycled the landing gear three times and then used the manual landing gear extension procedure, but the gear did not extend. After airport personnel reported that all three landing gear appeared to be down, the pilot continued the approach for a full-stop landing. After touchdown, the left MLG collapsed. The airplane turned 90° to the left and then came to a stop in the grass adjacent to the runway. The left wing sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the left MLG revealed that it remained partially retracted in the gear well. The other landing gear were down and locked. After the airplane was raised with a backhoe and the left MLG was manually pulled down, the down-lock hooks would not engage, and the drag links would not allow full extension. When a mechanic ran his finger through the drag link mating surfaces, a small stone fell out. Once the stone was removed, the left MLG extended and locked normally. It is likely that the stone had become lodged in the left MLG drag link and prevented the left MLG from locking.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,822 hours in all; 1,900 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 2,514 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 2, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,161 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 2, 2016; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5W4 Raeford NC at 6:00 pm
- Destination: TVI Thomasville GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 04, 6,004 ft by 101 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:15 pm from TVI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 11, 2018. 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 | Pilot's Written Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Mechanic's Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Landing Gear Procedures | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | 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.