Piper PA-34-200 accident near Hopedale, Massachusetts, October 25, 1999
On October 25, 1999 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N16397, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hopedale, Massachusetts (Hopedale Industrial Park 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 nose landing gear was not locked in the extended position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1999 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Hopedale, Massachusetts · Hopedale Industrial Park
- 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
- N16397 · no longer on the register · serial 22C-492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilots stated that the landing gear was extended prior to entering the traffic pattern. The approach was normal, and the airplane settled from about 5 feet in the air, onto the runway. The main gear touched down first, followed by the nose landing gear, then the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane skidded approximately 600 feet, and came to rest on the runway. The nose landing gear actuator separated, but there was no other damage to the nose landing gear. Examination of the actuator, by a Safety Board Metallurgist, revealed a failure consistent with overstress. According to the airplane manufacturer, the nose landing gear could not be extended and locked, if only the actuator was damaged. Either the landing gear was improperly rigged, or the gear was still in travel as the airplane landed. According to maintenance records, the rigging of the landing gear was checked during the last annual inspection, and no maintenance work was performed on the landing gear between the annual inspection and the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,648 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 213 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,550 as pilot in command; 1,095 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,294 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 1999; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1B6 Hopedale MA at 1:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,172 ft by 90 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from ORH, 15 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.
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.