# Accident 20250522006249A: Cessna 401, Arlington, TX, May 22, 2025 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 22, 2025, 12:42 local time - Place: Arlington, TX - Airport: Arlington Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.6639° N, 97.0943° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6639&lon=-97.0943&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3239Q, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3239Q) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 401 (registry code 207590C, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-401) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 401 - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 5,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA185) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250522006249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MAY 22, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 1242 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED A GEAR UP LANDING AT KGKY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE FLIGHT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FLOWN IN OVER 20 YEARS. EARLIER IN THE DAY HE HAD PERFORMED MULTIPLE HIGH SPEED TAXIS WITH SUBSEQUENT ADJUSTMENTS MADE. THEY DEPARTED AT APPROXIMATELY 1142 ON RUNWAY 16L AND CONDUCTED AN INITIAL PATTERN WITH THE GEAR DOWN WITHOUT ISSUE. THEY THEN PERFORMED 2-3 TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS RETRACTING AND EXTENDING THE GEAR EACH TIME WITH NO ISSUES NOTED. ON THE FINAL PATTERN DURING THE DOWNWIND WHILE EXTENDING THE GEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE HEARD A LOUD BANG ON THE LEFT SIDE. HE OBSERVED TWO GREEN LIGHTS BUT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AFTER RUNNING THE CHECKLIST AND UTILIZING THE PUSH-TO-TEST FUNCTION IT WAS DETERMINED THE LEFT GEAR LIKELY WAS NOT EXTENDED. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THE CONTROL TOWER DURING A LOW PASS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ELECTED TO CONDUCT MULTIPLE ORBITS OFF AIRPORT TO BURN OFF FUEL WHILE CONTINUING TO RUN THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN EXTENDING THE GEAR. HE REQUESTED THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOAM THE RUNWAY AND THEN MADE AN INTENTIONAL GEAR UP LANDING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ON SHORT FINAL THEY PULLED THE MIXTURE, TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR OFF, AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT. BASED ON MARKINGS ON THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN JUST PAST THE 1,000' MARKER AT TAXIWAY F AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 570' DOWN THE RUNWAY PARALLEL TO TAXIWAY E. ON SITE INVESTIGATION SHOWED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AS THE SKIN WAS WORN THROUGH TO THE BULKHEAD. THE AIRPLANE WAS LIFTED VIA A CRANE AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE GEAR WAS HYPER-EXTENDED IN THE WHEEL WELL WHICH PREVENTED IT FROM BEING EXTENDED. THE LEFT GEAR TOOK CONSIDERABLE MANUAL FORCE WITH A PRY BAR TO EXTEND. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BELLCRANK ASSEMBLY (P/N 5041001) WAS SHEARED WITH EVIDENCE OF A CRACK/CORROSION PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE RAMP. REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS CURRENT WITH ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS AND THE GEAR HAD BEEN CYCLED MULTIPLE TIMES ON JACKS WITH NO ISSUES NOTED PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN25LA185](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA185), May 22, 2025: Cessna 401 (N3239Q), Arlington, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the left landing gear system and subsequent intentional gear up landing. ## Other reports on N3239Q (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19980904047199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980904047199A), Sep 4, 1998: Cessna 401 (N3239Q), Lancaster, TX, Substantial damage. (.4) On September 4, 1998, approximately 1830 central daylight time, a Cessna 401 twin engine airplane, N3239Q, owned and operated by the pilot, was… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.