Gear Down, Gear Uncertain
A landing-gear extension malfunction on approach to Tampa International — dense development surrounds every runway end, and the decision to land or divert is yours alone
The scenario
Departing Tampa International Airport (KTPA), Tampa, FL — inbound on approach to Runway 19L, descending through 2,500 ft MSL into the Tampa Class B airspace. Elevation 26 ft MSL. Clear skies, light winds from the east at 6 kt, altimeter 29.98. Visibility 10 SM. A routine afternoon arrival.
Aircraft: Piper Arrow PA-28R, solo, 2,400 lb gross weight, within limits. Lycoming IO-360, 200 hp, fuel-injected. Constant-speed prop, retractable gear. You are on a 1.5-hour flight from Jacksonville; fuel is adequate. The airplane was airworthy at departure; no squawks were written up.
Pilot: you — a Commercial pilot, current, roughly 800 hours total. You have 120 hours in the Arrow. You are familiar with KTPA; you have landed here five times. You are not fatigued. You are on a personal flight, not an instructional or charter flight.
Approach: You are cleared for a straight-in approach to Runway 19L. ATC has you at 2,000 ft MSL, 8 nm from the runway. You begin the descent checklist: fuel selector LEFT (the left tank has more fuel), mixture rich, prop full forward (2,700 RPM), flaps 0°, landing gear DOWN. You reach for the gear handle and pull it down. The three green lights illuminate on the gear-down indicator. All three: nose, left main, right main. The gear appears to be down and locked.
At 1,500 ft MSL, 5 nm from the runway, you lower flaps to 10°. At 1,200 ft MSL, 3 nm from the runway, you lower flaps to 20°. Everything is normal. The gear lights are still green. You are on a stable descent at 90 KIAS (Vy, gear down). You are on the glide slope.
At 800 ft MSL, 1.5 nm from the runway, you lower flaps to 40° (Vfe 103 KIAS). You reduce power to 1,500 RPM. You are now at 80 KIAS, stable, on the glide slope. The runway is in sight. The gear lights are still green.
At 400 ft MSL, 0.5 nm from the runway, you notice the RIGHT MAIN GEAR LIGHT is flickering — not steady green, but flickering amber. The nose and left main lights remain steady green. Your heart rate spikes. The right main gear may not be fully extended, or the indicator may be faulty. You have 30 seconds to the runway. The decision is now.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPA · Tampa'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '10/28 · 19L/01R · 19R/01L'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '26 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we enter the decision tree — what do you already know about landing-gear extension failures in the Piper Arrow? (Pick all that apply; this records your baseline.)
What the record shows
What the NTSB files show
NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023): A Piper PA-28RT-201 experienced partial retraction of the right main and nose landing gear during landing rollout at an unspecified airport. The aircraft exited the runway. The cause of the partial retraction could not be determined despite extensive testing. The probable cause was listed as 'undetermined,' but the sequence — landing with green lights, then partial gear retraction during rollout — suggests either a faulty indicator or a mechanical failure in the gear extension system.
NTSB WPR22LA040 (2021): A Piper PA-28R-200 on a personal flight had a right main landing gear that would not extend during approach. The aircraft landed on the left main and nose gear only. The accident investigation revealed that an improper right main landing gear door rod-end bolt had been installed during maintenance, preventing the landing gear from extending. The pilot did not use the emergency extension system. The aircraft landed gear-down with the right main retracted, causing a runway excursion.
NTSB ERA15LA289 (2015): A Piper PA-28R-180 on an instructional flight at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport experienced an unsafe nose landing gear indication. The pilots executed emergency extension procedures. The accident investigation revealed undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly. After emergency extension, the nose gear was not properly aligned, causing directional control loss during landing and a runway excursion.
NTSB CEN11LA418 (2011): A Piper PA-28R-201 made a wheels-up landing after the landing gear power pack motor failed. The pilot did not use the emergency landing gear extension system, which would have allowed the gear to extend manually. The probable cause was 'the pilot's failure to use the emergency landing gear extension system,' with a contributing factor of 'the inoperative landing gear power pack motor.' The wheels-up landing was survivable; the aircraft was damaged but repairable.
Tampa International Airport (KTPA) is a major hub with three parallel runways (10/28, 19L/01R, 19R/01L) and dense development surrounding every runway end. Off Runway 19L's climb-out (heading 182°), the off-field environment is dense development, medium development, and pasture — there is no open field or water for a forced landing. A landing-gear malfunction at KTPA is a runway-dependent event: you must land on the runway or divert to an alternate.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft variants — NOT at Tampa International. KTPA has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: FORCED_LANDING 22.2%, LOSS_OF_CONTROL_INFLIGHT 11.1%, GEAR_UP_LANDING 6.7%), but these specific NTSB events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KTPA to make the runway environment and the decision-making real for you as a pilot operating from this field.
The consistent thread across all these events: landing-gear malfunctions in the Piper Arrow are often post-maintenance failures (improper bolt installation, fatigue cracks, misalignment) or electrical/mechanical failures that are not detected until the approach. The flickering light is a warning — it should be heeded. The emergency extension system is the critical backup. And when the gear cannot be extended, a wheels-up landing at the slowest possible speed (Vs0, 55 KIAS) is the correct outcome — not a gear-down landing with a failed gear.
Key lesson — In the Piper Arrow, a landing-gear malfunction discovered on approach is a complex decision: land with the uncertain gear and accept the risk, attempt emergency extension, or divert to an alternate. The flickering light is a warning — it indicates a real malfunction, not a transient. The emergency gear extension system is your backup. If the gear cannot be extended, a wheels-up landing at Vs0 (55 KIAS, stall speed in landing configuration) minimizes impact energy and is survivable. At KTPA, every runway end is surrounded by dense development — there is no alternate landing surface. The decision must be made in flight, not on the ground.
Debrief — teaching points
A flickering gear light is a warning — it indicates a real malfunction, not a transient.
The three green lights (nose, left main, right main) indicate gear DOWN and LOCKED. A steady green light means the gear is fully extended and locked. A flickering light means the indicator is faulty OR the gear is not fully extended. You cannot assume the light is faulty — you must treat it as a real malfunction. In WPR22LA040, the right main gear light was not illuminating at all; the pilot landed without the right main extended. In CEN23LA417, the right main gear partially retracted during landing rollout. The light is your only indication of gear status from the cockpit. Treat it as truth.
The emergency landing-gear extension system is the critical backup when the power system fails.
The Piper Arrow has an emergency landing-gear extension system — either a manual crank or a gravity-drop system, depending on the model. If the power system fails (electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical), the emergency system allows you to extend the gear manually. In CEN11LA418, the pilot did not use the emergency system and made an unnecessary wheels-up landing. The POH procedure for emergency extension is simple: reduce power to 1,500 RPM, level off at a safe altitude, and engage the emergency system. Know where the emergency handle is located and practice the procedure in a simulator or on the ground. It may save your airplane.
Cycling the gear confirms whether the malfunction is transient or real.
If a gear light flickers, cycle the gear: retract it fully, wait 10 seconds, then extend it again. Observe the lights. If the light flickers again in the same way, the malfunction is real and repeatable — not a transient. If the light is steady green after cycling, the malfunction was transient and the gear is safe. Cycling the gear at a safe altitude (2,000 ft MSL or higher) gives you time and options. If the malfunction is real, you can then troubleshoot further or decide to divert to an alternate.
A wheels-up landing at Vs0 (55 KIAS) is survivable and minimizes impact energy.
If the landing gear cannot be extended and a normal landing is not possible, a wheels-up landing is the correct outcome. The key is to minimize impact speed and energy. Vs0 (stall speed in landing configuration) for the Arrow is 55 KIAS. At this speed, impact energy is minimized — energy rises with the square of speed, so the difference between 55 KIAS and 80 KIAS is significant. Configure for the wheels-up landing: fuel selector OFF, mixture LEAN, master OFF (just before touchdown), flaps 40° (Vfe 103 KIAS) for the slowest possible speed. Touch down on grass or a long runway if possible. The aircraft will slide on its belly. You will be uninjured. The aircraft will be damaged but repairable. This is the correct outcome when gear extension is not possible.
Post-maintenance landing-gear failures are common — inspect the gear system after any maintenance.
Landing-gear failures in the Piper Arrow often follow maintenance. WPR22LA040 was caused by an improper rod-end bolt installation. ERA15LA289 was caused by undetected fatigue cracks in the strut mount assembly. CEN11LA418 was caused by an inoperative power pack motor. After any maintenance involving the landing gear, electrical system, or hydraulic system, conduct a thorough preflight inspection of the gear system. Cycle the gear on the ground and confirm all three lights illuminate and remain steady. If you see any flickering or inconsistency, do not fly — have the maintenance issue resolved first.
At KTPA, every runway end is surrounded by dense development — there is no alternate landing surface.
Tampa International Airport has three parallel runways: 10/28, 19L/01R, and 19R/01L. Off every runway end, the off-field environment is dense development, medium development, parks, or pasture — there is no open field or water for a forced landing. If a landing-gear malfunction occurs on approach to KTPA, you must land on the runway or divert to an alternate airport (KPIE, 9 nm to the west, or KFLL, 15 nm to the south). There is no third option. Know your alternates before you depart. File a flight plan that includes an alternate. If a malfunction occurs, you have a decision to make: land at KTPA with the uncertain gear, or divert to an alternate where you have more options (including a wheels-up landing if needed).
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023 PA-28RT-201 partial gear retraction during landing rollout), WPR22LA040 (2021 PA-28R-200 right main gear extension failure), ERA15LA289 (2015 PA-28R-180 unsafe nose gear indication and directional control loss), and CEN11LA418 (2011 PA-28R-201 wheels-up landing after failure to use emergency extension). Localized to Tampa International Airport (KTPA).
NTSB reports: CEN23LA417 · WPR22LA040 · ERA15LA289 · CEN11LA418
ACS tasks: PA.I.F — Weather Information · PA.I.G — Cross-Country Flight Planning · PA.IX.C — Emergency Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.A — Preflight Inspection · PA.V.A — Airplane Systems
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.185
Step through the full decision tree, make the calls, and see where each choice leads — then debrief it with your CFI.
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