- Date
- May 20, 2023, 11:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Ankeny, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N42JMNorth American-Buehn T-6G
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear collapse
- 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
- 20230520006369A
- Case key
- 192210
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 inadvertent retraction of the landing gear control lever, resulting in a gear-up landing on the runway.
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 pilot reported he completed the landing checklist on the downwind leg and confirmed that the landing gear was extended via the cockpit landing gear indicator lights. Additionally, he saw that the landing gear locking pins were engaged. On final approach, the pilot intended to move the flap control lever to the “full down” position; however, he inadvertently moved the landing gear control lever from the “down” position. The pilot did not perform a visual gear down check on short final. The airplane touched down with its main landing gear retracted and came to a stop on the runway. The pilot and his passenger exited the airplane and a post-accident fire ensued. The fuselage and left wing were substantially damaged by the fire. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42JM
- Reported as
- North American-Buehn T-6G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 182-735
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney R1340, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Aerobatic
- Departed
- AMW · Ames Municiple Airport, IA
- Destination
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Airport
- KIKV · Ankeny municipal Airport, runway 36, 5,500 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- 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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2022
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,958 total · 13 in this make and model · 1,892 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
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KIKV
- METAR
- KIKV 201515Z AUTO VRB05KT 9SM CLR 16/06 A3030 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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 N42JM · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.