Piper PA-24-250 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, October 22, 1999
On October 22, 1999 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6774P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Sundance Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to follow the landing checklist and verify that the landing gear was down and locked, which resulted in a wheels up landing. A factor was the failure of the landing gear locking mechanism for an undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 1999 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Sundance Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6774P · registry record · serial 24-1905
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he 'entered a downwind leg for runway 35 at which time [he] had lowered the landing gear. Everything seemed normal until touchdown when the gear retracted.' The pilot stated that 'evidently the gear did not lock.' The airplane slid 250 yards and came to a stop upright. A postaccident fire erupted and consumed the cockpit, including the instrument panel, and the belly of the airframe. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, a green light on the instrument panel below the landing gear switch indicates all gears down and locked. Furthermore, item number 6 on the landing checklist states the following: 'Landing gear down (under 150 MPH check green light on, warning horn off, gear emergency handle in forward position).'
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,801 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TCC Tucumcari NM at 5:30 pm
- Destination: HSD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from OKC, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 FTW00LA018.