Piper PA 31 accident near Clearwater, Florida, December 12, 2015
On December 12, 2015 at about 8:05 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA 31, registered N27405, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Clearwater, Florida (Clearwater Air Park airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 12, 2015 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · Clearwater Air Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 31 350, built 1977 · all PA 31s on the register
- Registration
- N27405 · registry record · serial 31-7752164
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that, on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, he applied flaps and pushed the landing gear lever "completely down" and then saw the landing gear extension indicator lights illuminate. On short final and as the airplane passed through 500 ft above ground level, he verified that the three green landing gear extension lights had illuminated and applied full flaps for landing. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard with the gear retracted and skidded to a stop on the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage keel beam, formers, and stringers. Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of any faults, malfunctions, or anomalies with the system, including the landing gear extension indicator lights and warning horn. It is likely that the pilot failed to extend the landing gear, which resulted in the gear-up landing.
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 defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,664 hours in all; 860 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 3,999 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 14, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,255.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 9, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 7,368 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 10,648 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD (piston); 5,422 hours total
- Operator: Creative Marketing Associates INC
The flight
- Departed from: TPF Tampa FL at 7:55 pm
- Destination: CLW Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,108 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KPIE, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.