- Date
- October 23, 2011, 16:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- West Chicago, IL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3309SCessna 210J
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111023024609A
- Case key
- 82145
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 pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before touchdown due to his failure to use a checklist.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that before landing he mistakenly positioned the four-position landing gear selector lever to the down-neutral position instead of the full-down position. He further noted that he did not notice the lack of sound and feel of the landing gear extending and the lack of an illuminated green landing gear position light; he also did not visually confirm that the main landing gear had extended. The airplane landed with the gear up, damaging several lower fuselage structural bulkheads and stringers. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used a checklist to ensure that the landing gear had been properly extended. He further noted that the airplane's landing gear unsafe warning horn had been inoperative for some time. A postaccident examination of the landing gear extension/retraction system did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that before landing he mistakenly selected the four-position landing gear selector lever to the down-neutral position instead of the full-down position. He further noted that he failed to recognize the lack of sound and feel of the landing gear extending, the lack of an illuminated green landing gear position light, and the lack of visual confirmation that the main landing gear had not extended. The airplane landed gear-up damaging several lower fuselage structural bulkheads and stringers. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used a checklist to ensure that the landing gear had been properly extended. He further noted that the airplane's landing gear unsafe warning horn had been inoperative for some time. A postaccident examination of the landing gear extension/retraction system did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3309S
- Reported as
- Cessna 210J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21059109
- Airframe hours
- 4,272
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-J, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- International ALERT Academy
- Registered owner
- International ALERT Academy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 2011
- Departed
- 06C · Schaumburg, IL
- Destination
- KDPA · West Chicago, IL
- Airport
- KDPA · DuPage Airport, runway 20R, 7,571 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 26, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 31 in this make and model · 174 as pilot in command · 87 in the last 90 days · 59 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KDPA
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 2, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3309S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.