Piper PA-44-180 accident near Byron, California, November 14, 2007
On November 14, 2007 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N274ER, was substantially damaged in an accident near Byron, California (Byron Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting due to overload during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2007 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Byron, California · Byron Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N274ER · registry record · serial 44-7995083
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After touchdown during the landing roll, the flight instructor heard a "clunking" sound, followed by the airplane dropping slightly to the right. The flight instructor subsequently heard a second "clunk" as the airplane's right wing dropped to the runway. A post-accident examination revealed that the right main landing gear aft trunnion attach fitting had failed. A subsequent metallurgical examination revealed that although a fatigue region was identified on one of the 3 fracture surfaces, it was relatively small, and that the attach fitting most likely failed due to overload.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,400 hours in all; 170 in this make and model; 169 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 2,301 as pilot in command; 975 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 157 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,027.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007; 85.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWD Hayward CA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: C83 Byron CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from SCK, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.