Gear Down and Locked — Or Is It?
A Piper Arrow landing-gear malfunction on approach to Peter O Knight Airport — the decision tree is short, the consequences are real
The scenario
Departing Peter O Knight Airport (KTPF), Tampa, FL — Runway 22, a 3,583-foot asphalt runway. Elevation 8 ft MSL. You are a commercial pilot with 800 hours total, 200 in the Piper Arrow (PA-28R). This is a local flight — a 1.5-hour round trip to Lakeland and back. The airplane is familiar; you have flown it 12 times in the past two months.
It is a clear, calm afternoon: OAT 24°C, winds 180° at 4 knots, altimeter 30.02. Visibility 10 SM. VFR all the way. You depart Runway 22 (heading 217°), climb to 2,500 ft MSL, and cruise to Lakeland. The flight is uneventful. You land at Lakeland, refuel, and depart for the return to KTPF 90 minutes later.
On the descent back to KTPF, you are at 1,500 ft MSL, 8 miles south of the field, heading 037° (reciprocal of Runway 22's 217° heading). You begin the approach checklist: fuel selector LEFT (you have 38 gallons remaining), mixture rich, prop control full forward (2,500 RPM), flaps down to 10°, airspeed 100 KIAS. You are on a straight-in approach to Runway 22.
At 5 miles south, you reach down and move the landing gear selector to DOWN. The gear warning horn sounds — expected, because the power is reduced and the gear is not yet fully extended. You hear the familiar whine of the hydraulic motor and feel the slight pitch change as the gear extends. You scan the gear-position indicators on the panel: three green lights — nose gear, left main, right main. All three should be green. They are.
Aircraft: Piper PA-28R-200, solo, 38 gallons fuel, within limits. The airplane was last serviced 15 flight hours ago; a routine 100-hour inspection was completed 40 hours ago. Nothing was written up. The landing gear system is hydraulic, with an electric motor-driven pump. There is an emergency extension system (manual hand pump) if the power system fails.
Pilot: you — a commercial pilot, current, 800 hours total. You are familiar with this airplane. You have never experienced a landing gear malfunction. You are not expecting one.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KTPF · Peter O Knight'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '4/22 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '8 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Approach'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you already know about the Piper Arrow landing gear system? (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. The right wing scraped the runway and the aircraft exited the runway. The cause of the gear retraction could not be determined despite extensive testing of the landing gear system, hydraulic system, and electrical system. The airplane was substantially damaged.
NTSB WPR22LA040 (2021): A Piper PA-28R-200 had a right main landing gear that would not extend during approach. The pilot landed on the left main and nose landing gear. The cause was the installation of an improper right main landing gear door rod-end bolt, which prevented the landing gear from extending. This is a post-maintenance failure — the gear system was mechanically sound, but the maintenance action introduced a defect.
NTSB ERA15LA289 (2015): A Piper PA-28R-180 on an instructional flight experienced an unsafe nose landing gear indication and performed emergency extension procedures. The cause was undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly, which prevented proper gear alignment after extension. The pilots lost directional control during landing and the aircraft exited the runway. The lesson: even after emergency extension, the gear may not be properly aligned, and directional control may be compromised.
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 extension system. The probable cause was the pilot's failure to use the emergency landing gear extension system, with contributing factors including the inoperative landing gear power pack motor. The airplane was substantially damaged.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft types — NOT at Peter O Knight Airport. KTPF has its own accident history (forced landing 19.4%, loss of control in-flight 16.7%, loss of control ground 11.1%, ditching 11.1%, stall/spin 8.3%), but these specific landing gear events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KTPF to make the runway environment and off-field options real and consequential for you as a student here.
The consistent thread across all these events: landing gear malfunctions in the Piper Arrow are often subtle. Three green lights do not guarantee the gear is locked. A post-maintenance defect can hide in the system until the critical moment. The emergency extension system is your backup — know how to use it. If you have any doubt about the gear, divert to a larger airport with maintenance capability before landing.
Key lesson — In the Piper Arrow, three green lights on the gear-position indicator are a necessary condition for landing, but they are not sufficient. Post-maintenance defects, fatigue cracks, and hydraulic failures can all occur with three greens showing. If you have any doubt — a rough gear extension, an unusual sound, a hesitation in the system — divert to a larger airport with maintenance capability. At KTPF, Runway 22's climb-out environment is open water (ditching risk); Runway 04's climb-out is dense development (forced landing risk). Know your off-field options before you depart. If the gear fails on landing, you will not have time to troubleshoot.
Debrief — teaching points
Three green lights are necessary but not sufficient for a safe landing.
The gear-position indicators show three greens when the gear is fully extended and the down-lock mechanism is engaged. But three greens do not guarantee the gear will support the airplane during landing. Post-maintenance defects (like the improper rod-end bolt in WPR22LA040), fatigue cracks in the strut mount (ERA15LA289), or a hydraulic system on the verge of failure can all exist with three greens showing. If you have any doubt about the gear — an unusual sound, a hesitation in extension, a rough feel — divert to a larger airport with maintenance capability before landing.
The emergency extension system is your backup — know how to use it.
The Piper Arrow has a manual hand pump for emergency gear extension. If the electric power system fails, move the gear selector to OFF (to isolate the electric system) and use the hand pump to extend the gear mechanically. Pump it vigorously 10–15 times. Once the gear is extended, move the selector back to DOWN to lock the gear in place. This is your backup system — use it before you land on the belly. The pilot in CEN11LA418 did not use the emergency extension system and made a wheels-up landing.
A gear-extension cycle at altitude is a valid troubleshooting step.
If you have doubt about the gear, climb to a safe altitude (1,500 ft AGL or higher) and cycle the gear UP and DOWN. If the gear extends and retracts normally and three greens appear both times, the system is likely working. If the gear sticks, cycles slowly, or fails to show three greens, do not land — divert to a larger airport with maintenance. This troubleshooting step buys you time and altitude to make a good decision.
A visual inspection from the ground can confirm the gear is down.
If you have doubt about the gear, request a low pass over the runway and ask a ground observer to visually inspect the gear from the side. At KTPF, CTAF (122.8) is the frequency. A ground observer can see the gear from the side and report whether it appears to be down and locked. This is not a substitute for the gear-position indicators, but it is a useful secondary check.
Know the off-field environment for each runway at your home field.
At KTPF, Runway 22's climb-out environment (heading 217°) is open water — a ditching risk. Runway 04's climb-out (heading 37°) is dense development — a forced landing risk. Runway 18 and 36 also have water nearby. If an engine failure or other emergency occurs on departure, you need to know immediately whether you can make it back to the runway or whether you are committed to an off-field landing. Know your off-field options before you line up on the runway.
A gear-up landing is survivable but the airplane is a total loss.
If the gear fails to extend and you must land on the belly, the fuselage, propeller, and engine will be damaged. The airplane will likely be a total loss. But you will survive. Execute the landing smoothly, cut power to idle, and let the airplane slide to a stop. Do not attempt a go-around or a steep approach — you will not have the energy to climb away. Accept the gear-up landing and walk away.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023 PA-28RT partial gear retraction during landing rollout), WPR22LA040 (2021 PA-28R right main gear extension failure due to improper door rod-end bolt), ERA15LA289 (2015 PA-28R-180 unsafe nose gear indication / directional control loss), and CEN11LA418 (2011 PA-28R-201 wheels-up landing after power pack failure and failure to use emergency extension). Localized to KTPF.
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 Assessment · PA.II.D — Systems and Equipment Malfunctions
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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