Piper PA-30 accident near Concord, California, August 9, 2024
On August 9, 2024 at about 2:59 am local time, a 1967 Piper PA-30, registered N8458Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Concord, California (Buchanan Field Airport). It was a ferry 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 main landing gear to extend and lock for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information. Contributing to the accident was a mechanical failure of the manual landing gear release mechanism due to inadequate clearance between the release linkage and side structure and maintenance personnel’s failure to identify the interference during previous annual inspections.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2024 · about 2:59 am local time
- Place
- Concord, California · Buchanan Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30, built 1967 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8458Y · registry record · serial 30-1617
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was cleared for landing at the destination airport. After extending the landing gear, he performed a pre-landing check and noticed that the landing gear switch was in the down position, while the annunciator showed the gear in the retracted position. The pilot attempted to cycle the landing gear multiple times, but was unsuccessful in extending the gear. He then overflew the runway and the tower controller noted that the landing gear was only partially extended. The pilot cycled the landing gear again, attempted to shake the gear loose with abrupt maneuvers, and attempted to manually extend the gear, but remained unsuccessful. The pilot elected to land with the gear partially extended, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The landing gear was cycled multiple times during a postaccident examination, but the landing gear failure could not be reproduced. Functional testing of the manual gear extension revealed that the system did not function as designed. During tests, the gear release arm was moved in accordance with the pilot’s operating handbook instructions, yet the manual extension failed to release the landing gear. Further examination found that inadequate clearance between the push/pull rod clevis and lightening hole resulted in resistance that inhibited the release tube and torque tube from decoupling. The landing gear would manually extend when the release arm and clevis were pushed away from the lightening hole. The binding and damage to the side wall from its interaction with the push/pull rod clevis was indicative of long-term wear; however, when this interference began could not be determined based on the available information. The airplane had accrued a total of 36 flight hours in the 8 years before the accident and had received only two annual inspections during that time. Both annual inspections required a visual inspection of the side wall and push/pull clevis, which should have identified the binding between the two components.
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)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 8.3 in the last 90 days; 2.1 in the last 30 days; 6,100 as pilot in command; 600 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 10, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,377 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSAC Sacramento CA at 11:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19R, 5,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 210° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KCCR
Weather report (METAR): KCCR 090253Z 21010KT 10SM CLR 25/12 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP091 T02500122 53000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Forward quartering view of airplane at accident site
Photograph 2 – View of fuselage to ground contact
Photograph 3 – Lower fuselage
Photograph 4 – View of manual release assembly, gear motor, and torque tube
Photograph 5 – Manual release assembly housing and damage to side structure inhibiting movement of torque tubeThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Air Traffic Control Audio | audio | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpt from Illustrated Parts Catalogue | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Maintenance Manual | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Excerpt from Pilot's Operating Handbook | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Excerpt from Aircraft Logbook | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB Landing Gear Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | 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.