# NTSB CEN22LA434: Cessna 550, N409ST, McGregor, TX, September 27, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 27, 2022, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place: McGregor, TX
- Coordinates: 31.4441, -97.4092 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4441&lon=-97.4092&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 4 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 106010
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN22LA434
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/106010/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106010
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN22LA434

## Probable cause

The flight crew’s failure to ensure the landing gear was down which resulted in a gear up landing and subsequent runway excursion.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Flight crew (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 550, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=2076604), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 550, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=2076604), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 550, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2076604), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 550, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2076604), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The captain reported that the airplane was on a stabilized approach when, just before the airplane touched down, he heard a horn activate. He did not realize that the landing gear was not fully down until the nose landing gear touched down and he heard metal grinding. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and came to rest about 20 ft from the edge. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. The captain’s recollection of the landing gear selection was “fuzzy” following the accident. A postaccident functional test of the landing gear system showed normal extension and retraction. No other preaccident failures or malfunctions were noted with the airplane or systems that would have precluded normal operations. The lack of anomalies indicated that the flight crew failed to ensure the landing gear was down before landing.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N409ST](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N409ST-2024-02-24), registration cancelled 2024-02-24, S/N 550-0559, built 1987 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 550
- Registry model: [Cessna 550](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-550) (registry code 2076604) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-jt15d-4-series) (registry code 52112, turbo-fan) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 550-0559
- Year built: 1987
- Airframe hours: 9012.7
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4 2500 lbs thrust turbo fan; Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4 2500 lbs thrust turbo fan
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, June 10, 2022
- Departed: ADS, Addison, TX
- Destination: PWG, McGregor, TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: PWG, McGregor Executive Airport, runway 17, 5,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Onboard weather, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 35; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 10, 2022; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 4,000 total, 380 in this make and model, 3,300 as pilot in command, 140 in the last 90 days, 44 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours
- Co-pilot; age 23; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 23, 2021; seat: right; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 788 total, 188 in this make and model, 487 as pilot in command, 130 in the last 90 days, 42 in the last 30 days, 8 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: variable at 3 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 90 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observed at: KPWG, 5 nm away
- METAR: METAR KPWG 271956Z AUTO VRB04G14KT 10SM CLR 32/03 A3012

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20220927021499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220927021499A), Sep 27, 2022: Cessna 550, Mcgregor, TX, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed ADS, during the landing sequence at pwg the gear was extended and no horn was noted by pilots or passengers. About the time the nose gear…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=106010. 5.2 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 12 pages, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15850804&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N409ST%20NTSB%20Form%20-%20Executed_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Memorandum for the record landing gear functionality findings CEN22LA434 (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 133 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15851395&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20the%20Record%20Landing%20Gear%20Funtionality%20Findings%20CEN22LA434-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 3, PDF, 6 pages, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=15994075&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=McGregor,%20TX%20Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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