Piper PA46 accident near San Jose, California, February 28, 2020
On February 28, 2020 at about 7:51 pm local time, a 1989 Piper PA46, registered N304LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near San Jose, California (Norman Y Mineta San Jose Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure to properly service the hydraulic power pack prevented a normal landing gear extension. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the landing gear emergency release valve to function properly for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 2020 · about 7:51 pm local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Norman Y Mineta San Jose Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46 350P, built 1989 · all PA46s on the register
- Registration
- N304LA · registry record · serial 4622033
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Despite several attempts, the airplane’s landing gear was unable to be extended and locked during the approach to the destination airport. The flight instructor elected to divert to a more suitable airport where they could circle while they tried to extend the landing gear. Continued attempts by the pilot receiving instruction and the flight instructor to troubleshoot the problem and extend the landing gear were unsuccessful. The flight instructor subsequently landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted. Postaccident examination of the land gear system revealed that the hydraulic power pack used to operate the landing gear had a lack of adequate hydraulic fluid in the reservoir, consistent with a hydraulic line being disconnected to release the landing gear during recovery and not reconnected. Therefore, the hydraulic fluid level in the reservoir could not be determined prior to the accident, however, . once properly serviced with hydraulic fluid, the power pack functioned appropriately. It’s likely the power pack was not serviced to the proper level during the accident flight, which resulted in the failure of the landing gear to extend. During initial testing, the landing emergency release valve did not release hydraulic pressure when activated. Two bolts located on the valve bracket were missing lockwire. The bolts are supposed to be torqued and safety wired to prevent movement of the valve lever setting. The valve bracket and valve lever were at the extreme setting, which would produce minimal activation of the valve. The loose valve bracket bolts could affect the valve lever position by allowing the valve bracket to slide when actuating the valve. Once the valve bracket bolts were appropriately secured, the valve functioned properly with no anomalies noted. It’s most likely the valve bracket bolts were not installed properly with lockwire. Although the investigation identified other potential causes of the valve not functioning properly, including the rigging of the actuation cable to the landing emergency release valve and the valve possibly not being fully set to the closed position at an unknown time, the investigation was unable to determine the exact cause of the landing gear emergency release valve failure.
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 approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Hydraulic power system › Reservoir, main › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Not serviced/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,507 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 16.1 in the last 90 days; 15.1 in the last 30 days; 1,402.4 as pilot in command; 476.1 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 306.6 hours in all; 53.3 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 14.3 in the last 30 days; 296.6 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,924.7 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, February 3, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 4,358 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IDA Idaho Falls ID at 7:00 am
- Destination: E16 San Martin CA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30L, 11,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from KSJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 22, 2022. 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 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Email | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Email (Parts Examination) | PDF, 2 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.