- Date
- April 22, 2014, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Horseshoe Bay, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N866BSCessna 421
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20140422012409A
- Case key
- 89291
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 failure of the drive mechanism for the gearbox motor, which resulted in the gear not extending for the landing.
Findings · 1
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 when he lowered the landing gear handle, he heard a loud bang. He stated that the nosewheel landing gear did not appear to be extended and that he could not be see it using the nacelle mirror. In addition, the green landing gear position lights did not illuminate. The pilot went through the emergency checklist and followed the manual landing gear extension procedure. During the landing, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. An examination revealed that the drive mechanism for the gearbox motor had failed. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
On April 22, 2014, at 1500 central daylight time, a Cessna 421 airplane, N866BS, was substantially damaged when the landing gear collapsed while landing at Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport (KDZB), Horseshoe Bay, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot was not injured. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The cross country flight departed San Antonio International Airport (KSAT), San Antonio, Texas, approximately 1400 and was en route to KDZB. The pilot reported that when he lowered the landing gear handle he heard a loud "bang." He stated that the nose wheel landing gear did not appear to be extended and could not be seen using the nacelle mirror. In addition, the green landing gear position lights did not illuminate. The pilot went through the emergency checklist and followed the manual landing gear extension procedure; however, the nose gear did not extend. During the landing to runway 35, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded on the runway with only the nose landing gear extended. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident reported that the bulkhead of the fuselage was substantially damaged. In addition, he stated that the drive mechanism for the gearbox motor had failed. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N866BS
- Reported as
- Cessna 421
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 421-0072
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 3,445
- Engines
- Cont Motor GTSIO-520-C, 375 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor GTSIO-520-C, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2014 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- KSAT · San Antonio, TX
- Destination
- KDZB · Horseshoe Bay, TX
- Airport
- KDZB · Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport, runway 35, 5,977 × 100 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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 22, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,117 total · 686 in this make and model · 1,931 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KDZB, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 11, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.