20260119000269A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna C500 · Great Falls, MT · January 19, 2026

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: January 19, 2026 · 13:03 local
Place: Great Falls, MT
Airport: Great Falls International
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: CGJVK
Reported as: Cessna C500
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,564 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Prior to landing, during the gear extension process, the pilot had to manipulate the gear handle up and down slightly to get the left gear to extend and lock completly - the right main and nose gear extended normally. During the initial attemp to lower the gear, the pilot could hear the gear extending but the gear light did not change to green and there was no audible "lock" sound. Pilot raised the gear handle slightly then reset it to the down position which resulted in a green locked light and audible sound associated with the locks engaging. Following roll-out, the aircraft began to settle slowly on the left side, thought to be a tire going flat, and continued until the wing-tip contacted the runway with a complet stop approximately 100 yards past the impact piont.

As the FAA filed it

PRIOR TO LANDING, DURING THE GEAR EXTENSION PROCESS, THE PILOT HAD TO MANIPULATE THE GEAR HANDLE UP AND DOWN SLIGHTLY TO GET THE LEFT GEAR TO EXTEND AND LOCK COMPLETLY - THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR EXTENDED NORMALLY. DURING THE INITIAL ATTEMP TO LOWER THE GEAR, THE PILOT COULD HEAR THE GEAR EXTENDING BUT THE GEAR LIGHT DID NOT CHANGE TO GREEN AND THERE WAS NO AUDIBLE "LOCK" SOUND. PILOT RAISED THE GEAR HANDLE SLIGHTLY THEN RESET IT TO THE DOWN POSITION WHICH RESULTED IN A GREEN LOCKED LIGHT AND AUDIBLE SOUND ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOCKS ENGAGING. FOLLOWING ROLL-OUT, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SETTLE SLOWLY ON THE LEFT SIDE, THOUGHT TO BE A TIRE GOING FLAT, AND CONTINUED UNTIL THE WING-TIP CONTACTED THE RUNWAY WITH A COMPLET STOP APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS PAST THE IMPACT PIONT.