- Date
- April 3, 2022, 11:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5338VCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20220403004919A
- Case key
- 104915
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 flight instructor's failure to extend the landing gear and perform a before landing checklist.
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 flight instructor reported that he and pilot receiving instruction had performed eight takeoffs and landings without incident. The flight instructor’s procedure was to perform the checklist items and select landing gear down when established on downwind in the traffic pattern. During the final traffic pattern, they became distracted and did not perform the checklist. The pilot receiving instruction reported that they did not lower the landing gear during the final approach and the airplane landed wheels up. The airplane sustained damage to the lower fuselage structure during the landing. Video footage provided by the airport manager showed the airplane’s landing gear fully retracted during the approach. Neither pilot recalled hearing the landing gear warning horn prior to the gear up landing. The mechanic that recovered and examined the airplane after the accident reported that the landing gear extended normally, and the landing gear warning horn was audible.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5338V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0509
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 14,693
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 2022
- Departed
- LVJ · Pearland, TX
- Airport
- LVJ · Pearland Regional Airport, runway 14, 4,313 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 85
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,511 total · 42 in this make and model · 7,318 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 14, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 80 total · 3 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVJ
- METAR
- KLVJ 031653Z AUTO 13010G17KT 10SM CLR 24/14 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP164 T02440139
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 2, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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 N5338V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.