- Date
- September 11, 2012, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kenedy, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5534GCessna 421C
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120911018859A
- Case key
- 85089
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 improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent collapse of the landing gear.
Findings · 3
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, who had purchased the airplane the day before the accident, was on a cross-country flight with three other occupants. While landing at an airport, the airplane landed hard and collapsed the landing gear; the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who had purchased the airplane the day prior to the accident, was on a cross-country flight with three other occupants. While landing at an airport, the airplane landed hard and collapsed the landing gear. A responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector found the airplane off the runway’s prepared surface and confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5534G
- Reported as
- Cessna 421C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421C0247
- Engines
- Continental GTSIO-520, reciprocatingContinental GTSIO-520, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KGDJ · Granbury, TX
- Destination
- 2R9 · Kenedy, TX
- Airport
- 2R9 · Karnes County Airport, runway 16, 3,218 × 60 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 16, 2012
- Flight hours
- 594 total · 4 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KBEA, 28 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.1 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.