Piper PA-30 B accident near Scappoose, Oregon, August 23, 2012
On August 23, 2012 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-30 B, registered N222BP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Scappoose, Oregon (Scappoose Industrial 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 failure of the landing gear to fully extend as a result of a failure of the landing gear transmission assembly for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2012 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Scappoose, Oregon · Scappoose Industrial Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 B · all PA-30 Bs on the register
- Registration
- N222BP · no longer on the register · serial 30-1510
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the landing gear would not fully extend before landing. He attempted to extend the gear manually but was unsuccessful. The pilot decided to make a gear-up landing on the grass median next to the runway. During the landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there was a failure of the landing gear transmission assembly, which prevented the full extension of the nose landing gear. After the accident, the transmission was replaced, and the failed transmission was not retained for further testing, which precluded a determination of the reason for the failure of the landing gear to fully extend.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Soft › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 774 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 130.3 in the last 90 days; 33.5 in the last 30 days; 580 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,656.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 22, 2011; 141 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 3,754 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 3,754 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VUO Vancouver WA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: SPB Scappoose OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from SPB
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.