Piper PA-24 accident near Medford, Oregon, July 15, 2026
On July 15, 2026, a 1957 Piper PA-24, registered N5002P, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Medford, Oregon. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2026
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24, built 1957 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N5002P · registry record · serial 24-5
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 14, 2026, about 1725 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-24 airplane, N5002P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Rogue Valley International/Medford Airport (MFR), Medford. Oregon. The two pilots were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight instructor reported that he and the pilot had intended to familiarize themselves with the airplane after it had been purchased by a new owner. Prior to the accident flight, the new airplane owner reported to the flight instructor that the prebuy inspection had identified some landing gear anomalies. Most of the anomalies were addressed during subsequent maintenance with exception of a delayed landing gear annunciation, which they were unable to duplicate. During the accident flight, one of the pilots asked the air traffic controller to observe if the landing gear was down. On the third circuit in the traffic pattern, the pilots heard the landing gear extend; however, the gear indication for the down and locked position did not illuminate. The pilot asked the tower controller to observe the landing gear position again, and the controller confirmed it was down. Nevertheless, about 200 ft - 300 ft above ground level, the landing gear down and lock position light illuminated and the pilot continued the approach and landing. Shortly after touchdown, during the landing roll, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane subsequently came to rest on the runway. Postaccident examination by a FAA inspector revealed that the engine mount sustained substantial damage. The airplane was recovered and retained for further examination.
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 defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,951.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 2026
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 8,800 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from KMFR
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMFR 142353Z 32015G20KT 10SM CLR 36/02 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP130 T03610017 10372 20267 56014
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR26LA279.