Naples Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Naples, Florida 34104
Wednesday, September 8, 1999 14:17 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot completed a before landing check and lowered the landing gear. She did not observe a green light and recycled the landing gear with negative results. She contacted the control tower and was advised that a medical evacuation aircraft was close by. The medical evacuation pilot and the control tower subsequently advised the pilot that the landing gear appeared to be down. The pilot did not perform the manual gear extension procedures listed in the checklist and continued with the landing. During landing rollout the landing gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed the navigation lights were on. When the navigation light were turned off, the landing gear indicator light went to the full bright position. When the navigation lights were turned 'on,' the landing gear light would dim for night operation. The airplane was placed on jacks and the landing gear was extended using the manual gear extension. A functional check of the landing gear warning horn and light system was completed with negative results. The pilot received a 1.2 hour check out in the airplane before the accident flight.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The pilot's failure to perform manual gear extension procedures with a suspected unsafe landing gear indication which resulted in a collapse of the main landing gear on landing rollout. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in kind of aircraft.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/8/1999
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1417
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City NAPLES
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 34104
Event Date Year 1999
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport NAPLES MUNICIPAL
Event Location Nearest Airport ID APF
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 9
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1417 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID APF
Elevation of weather observation facility 9
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 33
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 913
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 8 1999 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2200
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 11:56AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N980AC
NTSB Number MIA99LA265
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model PA-24-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-250
Aircraft Serial Number 24-3359
Certified Max Gross Weight --
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jul 12 1999 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 77
Airframe Hours 5549
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name NAPLES AIR CENTER
Aircraft Owner Street Address 230 AVIATION DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City NAPLES
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33942
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MTH
Departure City MARATHON
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1330
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code APF
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --