Piper PA-44-180 accident near Titusville, Florida, September 18, 1998
On September 18, 1998 at about 12:31 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N39776, was substantially damaged in an accident near Titusville, Florida (Space Coast Regional 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 collapse of the right main landing gear for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the pilot's failure to execute the emergency gear extension procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1998 · about 12:31 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Space Coast Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N39776 · no longer on the register · serial 44-7995030
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The landing gear hydraulic pump was replaced and reportedly checked satisfactory during annual inspection signed off 1 day earlier. The flight departed and after reportedly lowering the landing gear selector handle, the landing gear down and locked lights did not illuminate. The pilot cycled the navigation light switch, flew by the tower and was advised the gear appeared down and locked. He retracted the gear, reentered the traffic pattern, and again lowered the gear handle, but again, there were no down and locked lights from the landing gears nor a gear unsafe light. The pilot landed the airplane and reportedly after touchdown, the left main landing gear began to collapse. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway into grass and came to rest with the left and nose landing gears down and locked; the right main landing gear was collapsed. Post accident testing of the left main landing gear revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction; the down and locked light illuminated. The hydraulic pump was removed, bench tested, and found to operate normally. Testing of hydraulic fluid revealed it was contaminated beyond allowable limits. There was no requirement by the airplane manufacturer to replace the hydraulic fluid. The pilot reported that he did not utilize the emergency gear extension.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 518 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 126 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,235 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TIX at 11:55 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 6,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:32 pm from TIX
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.
Other NTSB records under N39776 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.