Piper PA24-260 accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, March 5, 2008
On March 5, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA24-260, registered N9126P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near West Palm Beach, Florida (Palm Beach International 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the checklist resulting in a gear up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · Palm Beach International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA24-260 · all PA24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N9126P · no longer on the register · serial 24-4605
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was cleared to land on runway 27 and he did not use the checklist or visually ensure that the landing gear was down. He made a wrong turn and landed gear up on runway 31. Examination of the airplane by the FAA revealed it received structural damage to the bulkhead.
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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 133 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMTH Marathon FL at 3:15 pm
- Destination: KPBI West Palm Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 6,932 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KPBI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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 N9126P 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.