Piper PA-30 accident near Millville, New Jersey, January 10, 2005
On January 10, 2005 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7547Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Millville, New Jersey (Millville Municipal 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to lower the landing gear during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2005 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Millville, New Jersey · Millville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7547Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-610
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot performed an ILS approach to runway 10, and "broke out of the clouds" at 600-700 feet, approximately 1,000 feet down the length of the runway. At that time, the flight instructor said, "let's get out of here," and the private pilot retracted the landing gear and added power for the missed approach. The flight instructor then took the controls and said "he had the airplane," initiating a tight, right hand pattern for runway 28. As the airplane touched down, the flight instructor noted that the landing gear was still retracted. The airplane then landed on its belly, struck both propellers, and skid several hundred feet before coming to rest at the intersection of runway 14-32. After the accident, the landing gear was cycled up and down several times, and no mechanical anomalies were noted.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,259 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 9,961 as pilot in command; 4,597 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 481 hours in all; 11 in this make and model
- Last flight review: September 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WWD Wildwood NJ at 3:15 pm
- Destination: MIV Millville NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 6,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from MIV
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.