- Date
- April 5, 2009, 16:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6208VCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090405005829A
- Case key
- 73610
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. Contributing to the accident was the diversion of the pilot's attention to an airplane on a converging final approach course.
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
While practicing a "power off 180 degree accuracy landing," the certificated private pilot became distracted in the traffic pattern by a converging airplane on approach to a different runway at the same airport. The accident airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The accident pilot had not lowered the gear on the downwind leg; instead, he intended to lower the gear on final, when "he was sure [he] had the runway made." According to the airplane's information manual, the accident airplane was equipped with an audio warning system which was designed to sound whenever the throttle was retarded below 12 inches of manifold pressure. The accident pilot stated that he did not notice the landing gear warning tone until after the airplane stopped on the ground. Most of the accident pilot's instruction in complex airplanes was not conducted in the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
While practicing a "power off 180 degree accuracy landing," the certificated private pilot became distracted in the traffic pattern by a converging airplane on approach to a different runway at the same airport. The accident airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted, and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The accident pilot had not lowered the gear on the downwind leg; instead he intended to lower the gear on final, when "he was sure [he] had the runway made." According to the airplane's information manual, the accident airplane was equipped with an audio warning system which was designed to sound whenever the throttle was retarded below 12 inches of manifold pressure. The accident pilot stated that he did not notice the landing gear warning tone until after the airplane stopped on the ground. Most of the accident pilot's instruction in complex airplanes was not conducted in the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6208V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0591
- Airframe hours
- 8,713
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 27, 2008
- Departed
- CHS · Charleston, SC
- Destination
- JZI · Charleston, SC
- Airport
- JZI · Charleston Executive Airport, runway 22, 4,313 × 150 ft, concrete
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 26, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 21 in this make and model · 150 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 260 total · 1 in this make and model · 206 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 185° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- JZI
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 N6208V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.