Piper PA 24-250 accident near Mesa, Arizona, September 6, 2014
On September 6, 2014 at about 7:26 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA 24-250, registered N5966P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Fld 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 failure of the right main landing gear (MLG) transmission mounting bracket coupled with the differential rigging of the two landing gear cables, which prevented the right MLG from moving to the down-and-locked position before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2014 · about 7:26 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Fld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 24-250, built 1959 · all PA 24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5966P · registry record · serial 24-1059
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, during the approach to land, the right main landing gear (MLG) would not extend and lock, and the locked gear-down position would not illuminate. The pilot attempted to manually extend the gear and get it to lock without success. The pilot then conducted a normal landing, and during the rollout, the right MLG collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the two landing gear cables were rigged slightly differently and that the right bracket that connected the landing gear transmission to the airframe was broken off. Examination of the break with a magnifying glass revealed that it likely had not occurred recently. With the airplane on jacks and the landing gear cables disconnected, the MLG successfully locked down, and the MLG could be manually returned to the "up" position with no restrictions. The airplane experienced a gear-up landing 13 years before the accident, and it is likely that the differential rigging of the two gear cables had existed since that time and led to the MLG being just on the edge of locking. The broken bracket that connected the MLG transmission to the airframe likely fractured some time before the accident and eventually separated from the airframe. The separation of the right MLG transmission bracket coupled with the differential rigging of the two landing gear cables likely prevented the right MLG from moving over center to the "locked" position and resulted in the gear-up landing.
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 › Main landing gear › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,201 hours in all; 1,223 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 13,071 as pilot in command; 4,235 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U14 Nephi UT at 3:30 pm
- Destination: FFZ Mesa AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22R, 3,799 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:59 pm from KFFZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.