- Date
- July 29, 1991, 07:12 local (12:12 UTC)
- Place
- Hutchinson, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N120ELAero Commander 500B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910729030519A
- Case key
- 15126
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 landing gear handle was placed in the gear up postion prematurely resulting in a gear retraction during takeoff. Factors related to the accident were proper procedures were not followed by the pilot.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot said that he inadvertently placed the gear selector in the 'gear up' position prior to takeoff. During the ground run the right main gear collapsed and the aircraft slid to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N120EL
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 500B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1312-147
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-E1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Central Air-Southwest
- Destination
- DDC · Dodge City, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- HUT · Hutchinson, runway 35, 4,251 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 2,706 total · 1,482 in this make and model · 2,191 as pilot in command · 258 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- HUT, 1 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.