Piper PA24 accident near Madras, Oregon, October 18, 2018
On October 18, 2018 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA24, registered N6263P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Madras, Oregon (Madras Municipal airport). It was a personal 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’s failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in an attempted go-around and subsequent pitchdown and impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2018 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Madras, Oregon · Madras Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA24 250, built 1959 · all PA24s on the register
- Registration
- N6263P · registry record · serial 24-1371
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the retractable-gear airplane reported that, during landing, at the "last second," he noticed that the landing gear were not extended. He applied full power to go around, but the airplane pitched down and impacted the runway. The airplane came to rest about 1000 ft down the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot 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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
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 › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,575 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 1,575 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,647.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1D-5 (piston); 800 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S33 Madras OR at 8:30 pm
- Destination: S33 Madras OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,089 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from KRDM, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 14, 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 Picture | PDF, 1 page | 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.