- Date
- May 19, 2022, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Gainesville, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7655BBellanca Cruisemaster
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 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
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220519007389A
- Case key
- 105105
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 landing due to his distraction with the wind gusts.
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 while on final approach for runway 18 the airplane bounced around in gusty wind conditions. The pilot was focused on the wind gusts, and he forgot to put the landing gear down. The airplane touched down on the lower fuselage and slid to a stop. The pilot observed smoke emitting from the engine after the landing. The airplane was consumed by a post-crash fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7655B
- Reported as
- Bellanca Cruisemaster
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4006
- Built
- 1957
- Airframe hours
- 2,880
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 11, 2022 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- F30 · Sulphur, OK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- GLE · Gainesville Municipal, runway 18, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 846 total · 390 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.59 inHg
- Observed at
- KGLE, 4 nm away
- METAR
- KGLE 192135Z AUTO 17017G22KT 10SM CLR 32/18 A2959 RMK AO2 T03210184 PWINO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2022, 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.
Other investigations on N7655B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.