Piper PA24 accident near Wendover, Utah, August 24, 2019
On August 24, 2019 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1960 Piper PA24, registered N6696P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Wendover, Utah (Wendover 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
Failure of the landing gear solenoid, which resulted in failure of the landing gear position switch, and the pilot's subsequent inability to extend the gear using the manual emergency extension system for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2019 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Wendover, Utah · Wendover · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA24 250, built 1960 · all PA24s on the register
- Registration
- N6696P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1821
- 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, during approach for landing at the conclusion of the cross-country flight, the airplane's landing gear would not fully extend. The pilot subsequently actuated the hand emergency landing gear release lever, and the landing gear still would not fully extend to the down-and-locked position. The pilot then performed multiple heavy g-force maneuvers in an attempt to lower the landing gear but was unable to extend and lock the gear, and subsequently landed the airplane in a dirt area adjacent to the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Examination revealed that the landing gear solenoid was inoperative, resulting in the failure of the gear to operate using the gear position switch; however, the emergency gear extension system operated multiple times during postaccident testing with no anomalies noted.
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 not configured during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Inoperative
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear selector › Inoperative
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 965.9 hours in all; 383.5 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 504.5 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 23, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,078.5 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 28, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,899 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 SERIES (piston); 2,079 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 West Jordan UT at 6:15 pm
- Destination: ENV Wendover UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 10,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:15 pm from KENV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 14, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Wreckage Examination Summary | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array-accident Site | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.