Piper PA-31-350 incident near Tampa, Florida, May 23, 1990
On May 23, 1990 at about 4:55 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N62910, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tampa, Florida (Tampa International airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES OUTLINED IN THE CHECKLIST, RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE LANDING WITH LANDING GEAR RETRACTED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 1990 · about 4:55 am local time
- Place
- Tampa, Florida · Tampa International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N62910 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7652163
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON A VFR APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 27 AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE CONTROL TOWER REPORTED TRAFFIC SOUTH OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE FOR RUNWAY 27 AT 1600 FEET AGL. THE PILOT INTERRUPTED HIS BEFORE LANDING CHECK, LOOKED, AND IDENTIFIED THE REPORTED TRAFFIC. THE PILOT CONTINUED WITH THE BEFORE LANDING CHECK AND OMITTED LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,626 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 197 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 4,302 as pilot in command; 714 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,231 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 11, 1990; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Top Flight Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: MCO Orlando FL at 4:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 6,998 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 22,000 ft; scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 am from TPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.