- Date
- July 17, 2015, 15:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Anoka, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6511VCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150717010629A
- Case key
- 91591
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
Failure of the left landing gear actuator for reasons that could not be determined because the actuator was not made available for examination.
Findings · 2
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 flight instructor and commercial-rated pilot receiving instruction departed the airport. When the commercial pilot retracted the landing gear, the pilots both heard a loud "clang" from the vicinity of the left main landing gear. The pilots lowered the landing gear; the right main gear extended but the left main gear did not extend. The pilots recycled the landing gear and then attempted the emergency gear extension procedure, which were both unsuccessful in lowering the left main gear. The pilots flew to the airport and the tower controller reported that the gear was partially extended. The instructor then attempted several maneuvers to get the gear to go down and lock, but these had no effect. When the pilots determined that they would not be able to lower the left main landing gear, the flight instructor performed an intentional gear-up landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a fractured left main landing gear actuator. Numerous attempts to obtain the broken actuator from the operator were unsuccessful, and a detailed examination of the actuator was not possible.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 2015, about 1545 central daylight time, a Cessna 172RG airplane, N6511V, was substantially damaged when it landed gear up at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport (KANE), Minneapolis, Minnesota. The flight instructor and the commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was registered to Kilo Delta LLC and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. The flight originated from KANA about 1500.According to the pilot after conducting a landing at another airport, they taxied and departed. On departure, when the commercial pilot retracted the landing gear, they heard a loud "clang" sound from the vicinity of the left main landing gear. They lowered the landing gear and were unable to get the left main landing gear to extend. Using the normal and emergency extension procedures, they were still unable to get the left main landing gear to extend. They decided to land gear up at KANE. An examination of the airplane found damage to the bulkhead and a fractured left landing gear actuator. Numerous attempts to obtain the broken actuator from the operator were unsuccessful and a detailed examination of the actuator was not possible.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6511V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0741
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 7,887
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2014 · 122 hours before
- Departed
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- ANE · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- ANE · Anoka County-Blaine Arpt(Janes, runway 36, 4,855 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 12, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,878 total · 126 in this make and model · 1,696 as pilot in command · 103 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 301 total · 27 in this make and model · 262 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.73 inHg
- Observed at
- KANE, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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.