Gear Down and Locked?
A Piper Arrow's landing gear refuses to extend on approach — diagnosis, emergency procedures, and a non-standard landing at Tampa Executive
The scenario
Departing Tampa Executive Airport (KVDF), Tampa, FL — Runway 23, a 5,000 ft asphalt runway. Elevation 22 ft MSL. You are a commercial pilot with 850 hours total time, 120 hours in the Piper Arrow PA-28R. This is a local training flight with a safety pilot aboard — you are practicing emergency procedures and crosswind landings.
The flight has been routine: 45 minutes of local maneuvering, practice stalls, and slow flight in the practice area northwest of the field. Weather is VFR: clear skies, visibility 10 SM, wind 180° at 6 kt (nearly calm). You are returning to KVDF for a full-stop landing on Runway 23 (heading 222° true). The airplane is within weight and balance, fuel is adequate (40 gallons usable remaining).
You are on a 5 nm straight-in approach to Runway 23, descending through 1,200 ft MSL, airspeed 100 KIAS. You reach for the landing gear handle and pull it down. The gear warning horn does not sound — that is normal when the gear is selected down. You expect to see three green lights (left main, right main, nose gear down and locked). Instead, you see only the left main green. The right main and nose gear lights are dark — not red (unsafe), but dark (no indication).
Aircraft: Piper Arrow PA-28R, constant-speed prop, retractable gear, fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360. The airplane was in the shop for a 100-hour inspection and gear inspection two weeks ago. The mechanic signed off on the gear system and all components. Nothing was written up. The airplane has been flown 12 hours since the inspection.
Pilot: You — commercial pilot, 850 hours total, 120 hours in type. You have trained on the emergency gear extension procedure (manual crank, electric backup, and the emergency extension system if installed). You know the V-speeds: Vle (max gear extended) is 129 KIAS, best glide is 79 KIAS. You are 5 nm out and 1,200 ft MSL. The decision clock has started.
- {'label': 'Field', 'value': 'KVDF · Tampa Executive'}
- {'label': 'Runways', 'value': '5/23 · 18/36'}
- {'label': 'Elevation', 'value': '22 ft'}
- {'label': 'Aircraft', 'value': 'PA-28R'}
- {'label': 'Dominant phase', 'value': 'Landing / Takeoff'}
The decision
Before we get into the decision tree — what do you know about landing gear emergencies 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. The aircraft exited the runway and came to rest on the grass. The cause of the partial gear retraction could not be determined despite extensive testing. The aircraft was damaged but repairable; no injuries occurred.
NTSB WPR22LA040 (2021): A Piper PA-28R-200 had a right main landing gear that would not extend during approach. The aircraft 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 during a recent maintenance action, which prevented the landing gear from extending. The aircraft was damaged; no injuries occurred. This accident highlights the critical importance of post-maintenance testing and verification.
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 performed emergency extension procedures, but the aircraft landed hard and exited the runway. The cause was undetected fatigue cracks in the nose landing gear strut mount assembly, which prevented proper gear alignment after extension and caused directional control loss during landing. The aircraft was damaged; no injuries occurred.
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. The aircraft slid down the runway on its fuselage and came to rest without structural damage. No injuries occurred. The lesson: the emergency extension system is a critical backup and must be used if the electric system fails.
The real accidents cited above occurred at other airports and in other aircraft — NOT at Tampa Executive Airport. KVDF has its own accident history (see field dominant patterns: LOSS_OF_CONTROL_GROUND 18.4%, HARD_LANDING 18.4%, FORCED_LANDING 15.8%), but these specific landing gear events happened elsewhere. The scenario is localized to KVDF 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 discovered on approach, when the pilot is committed to landing. The decision to go around, troubleshoot, and attempt emergency extension procedures is critical. A partial gear indication (one or more lights dark or red) means the gear is not fully locked and a normal landing is not safe. The emergency extension system (manual crank or gravity extension) is the backup when the electric system fails. If the emergency extension system also fails, a wheels-up landing on a long runway with emergency services standing by is the correct outcome — not an attempt to land on an unsafe gear configuration.
Key lesson — In the Piper Arrow, a landing gear malfunction on approach requires immediate action: go around, troubleshoot, and attempt emergency extension procedures. A partial gear indication (one or more lights dark or red) is unsafe for landing. If the electric system fails, use the emergency extension system (manual crank or gravity extension, depending on the model). If all extension attempts fail, prepare for a wheels-up landing on a long runway with emergency services standing by. Do not attempt to land with an unsafe gear configuration — the result is aircraft damage and potential loss of directional control. At KVDF, Runway 23 (5,000 ft) is long enough for a wheels-up landing or a one-main-gear landing if necessary, but the preferred outcome is a controlled wheels-up landing.
Debrief — teaching points
A partial gear indication (one or more lights dark or red) is unsafe for landing.
In the Piper Arrow, the landing gear system has three green lights: left main, right main, and nose gear. All three must be green (down and locked) for a safe landing. If any light is dark (no indication) or red (unsafe), the gear is not fully locked. A partial gear indication means the aircraft is not configured for landing. The correct response is to go around, troubleshoot, and attempt emergency extension procedures. Do not attempt to land with a partial gear indication — the result is asymmetrical landing, directional control loss, or a hard landing.
The emergency extension system is a critical backup when the electric system fails.
The Piper Arrow has an emergency landing gear extension system: a manual crank (located under the cabin floor) or gravity extension (select gear down and reduce speed below Vle, allowing gravity to lower the gear). The specific system depends on the aircraft model and year. You must know which system your aircraft has and be able to execute the procedure. The POH emergency procedures section is the reference. If the electric system fails and the emergency extension system is not used, a wheels-up landing is the outcome.
Vle (max gear extended) is 129 KIAS — do not exceed this speed with the gear down.
The Piper Arrow's maximum gear-extended speed (Vle) is 129 KIAS. Exceeding this speed with the gear down risks structural damage to the gear or the airframe. When troubleshooting a gear malfunction on approach, reduce speed to well below Vle (100 KIAS is a safe target) before attempting emergency extension procedures. This speed restriction is in the POH and is non-negotiable.
A wheels-up landing on a long runway with emergency services standing by is survivable.
If the landing gear cannot be extended, a wheels-up landing is the correct outcome — not an attempt to land on an unsafe gear configuration. Select the gear up, reduce power, and land on the fuselage on a long runway (Runway 23 at KVDF is 5,000 ft — long enough). Touch down smoothly, maintain directional control with rudder, and let the aircraft slide to a stop. The fuselage will have scrapes and dents, but the aircraft is repairable and the crew is safe. A wheels-up landing is not failure — it is airmanship.
Post-maintenance gear verification is critical — a recent maintenance action can introduce gear malfunctions.
NTSB WPR22LA040 shows a landing gear malfunction caused by an improper rod-end bolt installed during a 100-hour inspection. The aircraft flew 12 hours after the inspection before the malfunction was discovered on approach. After any maintenance action involving the landing gear system, verify the gear operation on the ground (three green lights when selected down, three lights out when selected up) and on the first flight (cycle the gear in flight at a safe altitude and confirm proper operation). Do not assume the maintenance action was correct — verify it yourself.
Built from the real accident record
Scenario built from NTSB CEN23LA417 (2023 PA-28RT partial gear retraction during landing), WPR22LA040 (2021 PA-28R right main gear extension failure post-maintenance), ERA15LA289 (2015 PA-28R nose gear strut fatigue / directional control loss), and CEN11LA418 (2011 PA-28R-201 wheels-up landing after power pack failure). Anonymized and localized to KVDF (Tampa Executive Airport).
NTSB reports: CEN23LA417 · WPR22LA040 · ERA15LA289 · CEN11LA418
ACS tasks: PA.V.C — Emergency Procedures · PA.V.D — Emergency Equipment and Survival Gear · PA.VIII.D — Approach and Landing · PA.I.H — Human Factors · PA.II.C — Flight Controls
Relevant FARs: §91.3 · §91.13 · §91.207
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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