Piper PA 23-250 accident near Camarillo, California, January 28, 2014
On January 28, 2014 at about 11:15 pm local time, a 1966 Piper PA 23-250, registered N5977Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Camarillo, California (Camarillo 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 inadequate hydraulic pressure due to a damaged O-ring in the hydraulic powerpack, which prevented the right main landing gear (MLG) downlock from locking in the extended positon and allowed the right MLG to collapse during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 2014 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 23-250 250, built 1966 · all PA 23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5977Y · registry record · serial 27-3148
- 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 he was performing touch-and-go landings and that, during the second landing, the right wing contacted the ground. The airplane then came to a stop on the runway. Postaccident examinations revealed that the right main gear landing (MLG) downlock was not in the locked position and that the right MLG had collapsed during landing. During the teardown of the hydraulic powerpack, a damaged O-ring was found on the gear selector shaft. The damaged O-ring did not allow the hydraulic fluid to build pressure and the downlock to hold, which prevented the downlock from locking the right MLG in the extended position.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › Hydraulic, main system › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 992 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 193 in the last 90 days; 95 in the last 30 days; 720 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,369 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 19, 2013; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BUR Burbank CA at 10:35 pm
- Destination: CMA Camarillo CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,013 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from KCMA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.