Piper PA44 accident near Centralia, Illinois, September 2, 2018
On September 2, 2018 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA44, registered N2204X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Centralia, Illinois (Centralia Muni 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 pilot receiving instruction's failure to extend the landing gear and the flight instructor's failure to verify that the landing gear was extended before landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and distraction.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 2018 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Centralia, Illinois · Centralia Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA44 180, built 1979 · all PA44s on the register
- Registration
- N2204X · registry record · serial 44-7995281
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the twin-engine airplane reported that, during the second simulated single-engine failure approach, the pilot under instruction reduced the left engine power setting to 12 inches of manifold pressure, which activated the landing gear auditory warning horn. On downwind, the student performed the prelanding checks and asked the instructor if he should deploy the landing gear. The instructor told the student to delay the action and deploy the landing gear during the final landing checks because the student was struggling to maintain altitude. Shortly after turning to final, the student performed the final landing checks and provided verbal cues of completion but did not include the landing gear check. The instructor stated that he was distracted and focused on corrections because the student was struggling to maintain altitude and the runway centerline during the final approach. The instructor did not verify that the gear was extended. During the landing flare, the instructor realized that the landing gear was not extended, and he immediately took the controls. He leveled the airplane and landed on the runway with the gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engines. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Student/instructed pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,612.7 hours in all; 185.3 in this make and model; 294.8 in the last 90 days; 140.1 in the last 30 days; 5,231.3 as pilot in command; 3,117.8 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 28, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,084.3 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, August 17, 2018
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O 360-E1A60 (piston); 5,878 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LO 360 E1A6D (piston); 4,817 hours total
- Operator: Airgo Inc
The flight
- Departed from: ENL Centralia IL at 6:50 pm
- Destination: ENL Centralia IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from KENL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 5, 2019. 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 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.