- Date
- September 29, 2024, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cortez, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8851RBellanca 14 19
- 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
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240929019639A
- Case key
- 195226
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.
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 pilot reported that during a straight in landing he forgot to perform his before landing checklist because he had not flown the standard traffic pattern. The airplane contacted the runway surface with the landing gear in the retracted position and came to rest on the runway. The pilot reported that he saw smoke and exited the airplane before a post-crash fire ensued which destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8851R
- Reported as
- Bellanca 14 19 (3)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 76105-9-F
- Built
- 1960
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Contential IO-470-F, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 20, 2024
- Departed
- DRD · Durango, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CEZ · Cortez Municipal, runway 21, 6,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 87
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 25, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 120 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KCEZ
- METAR
- KCEZ 292053Z AUTO 27007KT 10SM CLR 28/04 A3020 RMK AO2 SLP152 T02780039 58023 $=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.5 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.