Piper PA-34-200 accident near Olive Branch, Mississippi, November 8, 1999
On November 8, 1999 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N56676, was substantially damaged in an accident near Olive Branch, Mississippi (Olive Branch 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 private-rated student pilots inadvertent retraction of the main landing gear during a touch-and-go landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructors improper supervision of the dual student.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1999 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Olive Branch, Mississippi · Olive Branch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N56676 · registry record · serial 34-7450020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI and private -rated student pilot were conducting touch-and-go landings. After touch down the dual student retracted the flaps and reached for the landing gear instead of the throttles. The CFI yelled 'no', the dual student released the landing gear handle and added full power. The right main landing gear retracted, the airplane yawed to the right and stopped in the grass.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 140 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 80 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1999; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Douglas Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: OLV at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from MEM, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N56676 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.