Piper PA-31T accident near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, December 13, 2007
On December 13, 2007 at about 1:29 am local time, a Piper PA-31T, registered N112ED, was substantially damaged in an accident near Muscle Shoals, Alabama (Muscle Shoals airport). 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 lower the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2007 · about 1:29 am local time
- Place
- Muscle Shoals, Alabama · Muscle Shoals · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T · all PA-31Ts on the register
- Registration
- N112ED · registry record · serial 31T-8020060
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While conducting an instrument approach, the pilot of a Piper PA-31T crossed the initial approach fix and descended to 2,300 feet, per the instrument approach procedure. Upon reaching the final approach fix, he then selected 1,200 feet in the altitude preselect and almost simultaneously visually acquired the runway and visual approach slope indicator. The pilot then "became distracted," and" forgot to extend the [landing] gear." He then fully extended the wing flaps, but the power setting remained above the "trigger point" for the landing gear warning horn. The airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted and was substantially damaged.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,127 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 79 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 8,768 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,823.4 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 9,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Darby Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Worth TX at 11:34 pm
- Destination: MSL Muscle Shoals AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 6,693 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: ovct at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:20 am from MSL
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.