What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 13, 2026, at approxiamately 1230 LCL the allentown FSDO received a telephone call that there had been a gear up landing at N51, Solberg/Hunterdon NJ airport, involving privacy data omitted.
We traveled to the scene to conduct our initial investigation and arrived at approxiamately 1350 local. Photographs of the aircraft and damage were taken, and the PIC and passengers were interviewed regarding the event.
Both the PIC and passenger stated that they were conducting touch and gos in the traffic pattern for runway 4.
The PIC, stated he was utilizing his checklist and observed three green landing gear indicator lights prior to the final landing. He stated that upon touchdown the gear collapsed. He did not recall hearing the landing gear warning horn.
The passenger stated the aircraft smoothly touched down on its belly and skidded to a stop. She also did not recall hearing the landing gear warning horn. She said she did not observe the landing gear indicator lights and was unfamiliar with the aircraft as this was her first flight in that aircraft.
Both the PIC and passenger stated that the aircraft slid down the runway veered right, struck a runway light and came to rest in the grass adjacent to the runway.
The aircraft had already been relocated from the runway to allow the airport to reopen. The PIC, who is also the aircraft owner and owner of an aircraft maintenance company located in linden, new jersey, had his aog truck and company employees on site. The relocation was accomplished with prior authorization from the FSDO.
The PIC stated that when the aircraft was lifted up with the hoist the gear just fell out.
Observed damage included a large dent to the right wing leading edge consistent with contact with the runway light and slight oil-canning on the upper surface of the right wing outboard of the fuel cell. There was also significant damage to the portions of the longerons on the belly of the aircraft as well as damage to the aircraft entry step and glideslope antenna.
Propeller strike marks were observed on the runway that began prior to the point where the aircraft's fuselage made contact with the runway.
Prior to leaving the airport, the airport owner provided a written and signed witness report from another pilot who had been fueling his aircraft at the time of the accident. The witness reported that the landing gear was not extended.
We departed from the airport to return to the FSDO at approximately 1440 LCL.
The damage to the aircraft was consistent with the landing gear not being extended prior to landing. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, and the event was classified as an accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 13, 2026, AT APPROXIAMATELY 1230 LCL THE ALLENTOWN FSDO RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL THAT THERE HAD BEEN A GEAR UP LANDING AT N51, SOLBERG/HUNTERDON NJ AIRPORT, INVOLVING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
WE TRAVELED TO THE SCENE TO CONDUCT OUR INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND ARRIVED AT APPROXIAMATELY 1350 LOCAL. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DAMAGE WERE TAKEN, AND THE PIC AND PASSENGERS WERE INTERVIEWED REGARDING THE EVENT.
BOTH THE PIC AND PASSENGER STATED THAT THEY WERE CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GOS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 4.
THE PIC, STATED HE WAS UTILIZING HIS CHECKLIST AND OBSERVED THREE GREEN LANDING GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FINAL LANDING. HE STATED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN THE GEAR COLLAPSED. HE DID NOT RECALL HEARING THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN.
THE PASSENGER STATED THE AIRCRAFT SMOOTHLY TOUCHED DOWN ON ITS BELLY AND SKIDDED TO A STOP. SHE ALSO DID NOT RECALL HEARING THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN. SHE SAID SHE DID NOT OBSERVE THE LANDING GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AIRCRAFT AS THIS WAS HER FIRST FLIGHT IN THAT AIRCRAFT.
BOTH THE PIC AND PASSENGER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE RUNWAY VEERED RIGHT, STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD ALREADY BEEN RELOCATED FROM THE RUNWAY TO ALLOW THE AIRPORT TO REOPEN. THE PIC, WHO IS ALSO THE AIRCRAFT OWNER AND OWNER OF AN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE COMPANY LOCATED IN LINDEN, NEW JERSEY, HAD HIS AOG TRUCK AND COMPANY EMPLOYEES ON SITE. THE RELOCATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH PRIOR AUTHORIZATION FROM THE FSDO.
THE PIC STATED THAT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED UP WITH THE HOIST THE GEAR JUST FELL OUT.
OBSERVED DAMAGE INCLUDED A LARGE DENT TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY LIGHT AND SLIGHT OIL-CANNING ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE RIGHT WING OUTBOARD OF THE FUEL CELL. THERE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE PORTIONS OF THE LONGERONS ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT ENTRY STEP AND GLIDESLOPE ANTENNA.
PROPELLER STRIKE MARKS WERE OBSERVED ON THE RUNWAY THAT BEGAN PRIOR TO THE POINT WHERE THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY.
PRIOR TO LEAVING THE AIRPORT, THE AIRPORT OWNER PROVIDED A WRITTEN AND SIGNED WITNESS REPORT FROM ANOTHER PILOT WHO HAD BEEN FUELING HIS AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED.
WE DEPARTED FROM THE AIRPORT TO RETURN TO THE FSDO AT APPROXIMATELY 1440 LCL.
THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE LANDING GEAR NOT BEING EXTENDED PRIOR TO LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND THE EVENT WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.