Piper PA32R accident near Florala, Alabama, November 8, 2023
On November 8, 2023 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA32R, registered N100VF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Florala, Alabama (Florala Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2023 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Florala, Alabama · Florala Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32R 300, built 1977 · all PA32Rs on the register
- Registration
- N100VF · registry record · serial 32R-7780539
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was performing a short-field landing as part of a flight review and because he was focused on his intended point of touchdown, airspeed, flap position, and clearing the “simulated 50 ft obstacle,” he was distracted from the normal landing procedure. Immediately before touchdown, the airplane’s landing gear warning horn sounded, and the landing was completed with the landing gear fully retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have prevented normal landing gear extension.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › (general) › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,542 hours in all; 957 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,508 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 9, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,564 hours in all; 190 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 1,769 as pilot in command; 1,007 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 25, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,046 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 26, 2023; 91.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-K1G5D (piston); 8,046 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 18FD Baker FL at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,197 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 pm from K0J4
Weather report (METAR): K0J4 082158Z AUTO 21010KT 10SM CLR 26/14 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP165 T02610139
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA24LA034.