- Date
- October 13, 1996, 13:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Fayetteville, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N20ECCessna 337G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961013035719A
- Case key
- 3796
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The unapproved maintenance modification of the landing gear electrical system by maintenance personnel that prevented the extension of the landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Upon entering the traffic pattern for a full stop landing at the original destination airport, the pilot placed the landing gear extension handle in the down position, and discovered that the landing gear would not extend. The pilot flew to Fayetteville and conducted several over-flights for the control tower to check the aircraft for the landing gear extension. After three hours of flight, the pilot shut down the front engine and landed the airplane with the rear engine running. An examination of the aircraft revealed that an unauthorized on/off switch had been installed under the instrument panel for the landing gear system. According to the pilot, when the switch was placed in the on position, the landing gear would retract but would not extend. There were no write-ups in the aircraft maintenance logs or the aircraft checklist that revealed the installation of this switch. Neither the pilot nor the new owner of the airplane were aware of the unauthorized switch installation.
Factual narrative
On October 13, 1996, at 1305 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 337G , N20EC, landed gear-up on runway 28 at Fayetteville Regional Airport, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with a flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, the pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight departed Fayetteville, at 1000.
Upon entering the traffic pattern for a full stop landing, at the original destination airport, the pilot placed the landing gear extension handle in the down position, and discovered that the landing gear would not extend. The pilot radioed Fayetteville approach control and advised air traffic controllers of his problem. The pilot flew to Fayetteville and conducted several over-flights to check for the landing gear extension. After three hours of flight, the pilot shut down the front engine and made a gear up landing with the rear engine running.
An examination of the aircraft revealed that an unauthorized on/off switch for the landing gear system had been installed under the instrument panel. According to the pilot, when the switch was placed in the on position, the landing gear would retract but would not extend. There were no write-ups in the aircraft maintenance logs or the aircraft checklist that revealed the installation of this switch. Neither the pilot nor the new owner of the airplane were aware of the unauthorized switch installation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20EC
- Reported as
- Cessna 337G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33701654
- Airframe hours
- 2,140
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-G, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rodney K Flack
- Registered owner
- Philip Kropp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 27, 1996 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- FAY
- Airport
- FAY · Fayetteville Regional, runway 28, 4,802 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,730 total · 6 in this make and model · 6,451 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 360 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.