# NTSB CHI06LA080: Cessna 421C, N98507, Indianapolis, IN, February 18, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 18, 2006, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Indianapolis, IN - Coordinates: 39.730556, -86.27639 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.7306&lon=-86.2764&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - Indianapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 63284 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI06LA080 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63284/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI06LA080 ## Probable cause The main landing gear malfunctioned and failed to extend during the landing approach for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a main gear up landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, approach - landing gear,main gear - malfunction (cause) - landing gear,main gear - undetermined (cause) - Wheels up landing, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - runway - Nose gear collapsed, landing - roll ## Analysis The twin-engine airplane sustained substantial damage during landing when the main landing gear would not extend. During the approach to landing, only the nose landing gear extended and the main landing gear remained in the wing wheel wells. The pilot reported that when he attempted to lower the landing gear prior to landing, the main landing gear indicator lights remained unlit. He cycled the landing gear handle three times without effect. He yawed and porpoised the airplane to get the gear down, but with no result. He executed the emergency gear extension procedures and actuated the nitrogen bottle without success. He did a fly-by of the control tower, and the controllers confirmed that the main gear were still in the wheel wells. He tried to get the gear down by pulling positive G's on the airplane, but it did not work. The pilot decided to land with the nose gear down and the main gear up. On short final at 100 feet above ground level, he put the mixtures to idle cutoff. At 50 feet he raised the flaps. The airplane skidded on the runway for 1,500 to 2,000 feet, and then the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane was lifted up during recovery and the main landing gear fell into the down and locked position. The inspection of the main landing gear did not reveal any anomalies. ## Factual narrative On February 18, 2006, at 1730 eastern standard time, a Cessna 421C, N98507, sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 32 (7,605 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indianapolis, Indiana. The airline transport pilot and the passenger were not injured. During the approach to landing, only the nose landing gear extended. The main landing gear remained in the wing wheel wells requiring the pilot to make a main gear up landing. The 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight departed Salt Lake City, Utah, at 1110 mountain standard time and was en route to Cincinnati, Ohio, but diverted to IND to refuel. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot reported that he intercepted the final approach course for the ILS to runway 32 about 8 nautical miles out at 170 knots. He lowered the landing gear handle. The nose landing gear lowered, but the main landing gear did not. The main landing gear indicator lights remained unlit. He cycled the landing gear handle three times without effect. He attempted to yaw the airplane and porpoise the airplane to get the gear down, but with no result. He executed the emergency gear extension procedures and actuated the nitrogen bottle, but without success. He did a fly-by of the control tower and the controllers confirmed that the main gear were still in the wings. He tried to get the gear down by pulling positive G's on the airplane, but it did not work. The pilot decided to land with the nose gear down and the main gear up. On short final at 100 feet above ground level, he put the engine mixture to idle cutoff. At 50 feet he raised the flaps. The airplane skidded on the runway for 1,500 to 2,000 feet and then the nose landing gear collapsed. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the main landing gear were in the retracted position during landing. The nose gear was extended and collapsed during landing roll. During aircraft recovery, the main landing gear extended to a down and locked position when the aircraft was raised up. The inspection of the blow down bottle revealed that the valve had been actuated and the bottle was empty. The inspection of the landing gear system revealed that there were no leaks in the hydraulic lines. The landing gear were cycled successfully numerous times with no anomalies. The blow down bottle was tested and the gear extended to the down and locked position. There was no mechanical damage to the mechanical uplocks. The inspection of the landing gear system did not reveal any anomalies to the landing gear system that would have prevented normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N98507](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N98507-2016-05-03), registration cancelled 2016-05-03, S/N 421C0075, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 421C - Registry model: [Cessna 421C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-421c) (registry code 2076016) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 0075 - Airframe hours: 6680 - Engines: Continental GTSIO-520-L 375 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Gulf Atlantic Airways, Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2005 - Departed: U42, Salt Lake City, UT - Destination: LUK, Cincinnati, OH - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: IND, Indianapolis International, runway 32, 7,605 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 3,700 total, 1,570 in this make and model, 3,500 as pilot in command, 80 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days, 10 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 10 °F, dew point -0 °F - Observed at: IND, 2 nm away ## 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 20060218006279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060218006279A), Feb 18, 2006: Cessna 421C, Indianapolis, IN, Substantial damage. (-23) Departed salt lake city (U42) to lukin, cincinnati (luk) decided to land at ind for fuel. When selecting gear down no main gear down indication. The… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.