Piper PA-24 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, June 11, 1999
On June 11, 1999 at about 1:44 pm local time, a Piper PA-24, registered N5238P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida (Page Field). 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 verify that the retractable landing gear were down and locked for landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1999 · about 1:44 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Page Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N5238P · no longer on the register · serial 24-538
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed gear up and the pilot reported, 'I believe I saw a green light for the gear and continued the landing as per usual'. Replay of the tower tapes revealed that immediately after the gear up landing, N6238P transmitted, 'I just did a gear up'. Inspection of the landing gear extension/retraction system by an FAA certified mechanic revealed no abnormalities except a popped circuit breaker for the gear motor. The circuit breaker was reset and the system operated satisfactorily at the proper cycle speed for several cycles.
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: 3,200 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,388 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 1998; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGD Punta Gorda FL at 1:25 pm
- Destination: FMY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from FMY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.