Piper Aircraft INC PA46R-350T accident near Cameron Park, California, June 5, 2012
On June 5, 2012 at about 1:25 am local time, a Piper Aircraft INC PA46R-350T, registered N488EA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cameron Park, California (Cameron Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the nose landing gear actuator attach foot during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the non-compliance with the manufacturer’s service bulletin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 2012 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Cameron Park, California · Cameron Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft INC PA46R-350T
- Registration
- N488EA · registry record · serial 4692016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing roll after a normal touchdown, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the airplane departed the side of the runway. The investigation determined that the gear collapse was the result of the fatigue failure of the right side nose gear actuator attach foot, which then separated from the engine mount. Records showed that the accident airplane had been flown more than 300 hours since its most recent compliance with the Piper Aircraft service bulletin (SB) 1103D, which calls for the inspection of this specific area for cracks every 100 hours. Although Piper Aircraft Company considers its service bulletins to be mandatory actions, the Federal Aviation Administration does not require that service bulletins be complied with for aircraft that are used exclusively for 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 operations, as this airplane was. Therefore, neither the owner of the airplane nor the maintenance personnel who performed annual inspections on the airplane were required to ensure compliance with SB 1103D. Failure to comply with SB 1103D could result in the nondetection of fatigue cracks that would eventually lead to the failure of a component of the engine mount/gear support assembly, as occurred in this 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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Not inspected
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,953 hours in all; 1,002 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1,872 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 11, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 930 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2012; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,358 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: KPAO Palo Alto CA
- Destination: 061 Cameron Park CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 4,051 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.