Down on the Belly: N2104Z's Gear-Up Landing at Lewis University Airport

A Piper Turbo Arrow landed gear-up at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, sliding to a stop on its belly with both people aboard walking away without a scratch.

A Retractable-Gear Airplane

The Turbo Arrow IV is a retractable-gear variant of Piper's Arrow line — meaning, unlike a fixed-gear trainer, the pilot has to actually extend the landing gear before landing, usually confirmed by a gear-down indication and a pre-landing checklist item. A gear-up landing happens when that step gets missed, distracted past, or the gear itself fails to respond to the extension command — the public record here doesn't specify which.

Landing on Runway 2

On August 23, 2026, N2104Z touched down on Runway 2 with the gear still retracted. What follows in a gear-up landing is largely physics: the aircraft's belly, propeller, and lower fuselage take the load and friction that wheels would normally absorb, typically producing a shower of sparks, propeller damage from ground contact, and substantial airframe damage — but a relatively gentle deceleration overall, since the belly spreads the load over a wide contact area rather than concentrating it the way a nose-first or hard impact would.

No Injuries

Both occupants of N2104Z were uninjured. That outcome is typical of gear-up landings specifically because they tend to be low-drama events from an injury standpoint, however dramatic they look — the airplane is destroyed or badly damaged, but the deceleration forces on the people inside are usually mild.

Investigation Status

Whether this was a missed pre-landing checklist item, a mechanical failure of the gear extension system, or something else has not been determined publicly as of this writing.

This reconstruction was researched from official investigation records where they exist, the original air traffic control recording, and contemporary reporting. The aircraft movement, timeline and written account were assembled independently by Flight Follower. Where an investigation is open or no probable cause has been published, the account says so rather than offering one.

Timeline

Accident Facts

Sources

• Aviation Safety Network incident record, Piper PA-28RT-201T Turbo Arrow IV N2104Z, Lewis University Airport, August 23, 2026