# NTSB ERA10IA378: Cessna 402C, N26150, Hyannis, MA, July 26, 2010 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: July 26, 2010, 08:18 local (12:18 UTC) - Place: Hyannis, MA - Coordinates: 41.668056, -70.274719 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6681&lon=-70.2747&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 8 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 26, 2011 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 76770 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA10IA378 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/76770/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76770 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10IA378 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing flare and touchdown. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Action: lack of action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 792 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041030/cases.md) - [Landing gear system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023200): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 113 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023200/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot/owner/operator said that he was on final approach as he slowed the airplane and incrementally increased the flap settings. He lowered the landing gear about the same time that he deployed the first 15 degrees of flaps, but made no mention of the landing gear lights having been illuminated. When the airplane was over the runway threshold, he added the last of the flaps, encountered turbulence, bounced, and the airplane then landed with the gear up and slid to a stop. Passengers in the airplane said that the airplane skidded to a stop after ground contact and did not bounce. Witnesses stated that the landing gear was retracted during the entire approach and landing. The airplane was placed on jacks and the landing gear was extended and retracted, with no deficiencies noted. Examination revealed that the main landing gear showed no scratches, scrapes, or any other evidence of abnormal contact with the runway. The pilot then suggested that he must have struck the landing gear handle with his knee when the airplane bounced, which retracted the gear before the second touchdown. Contrary to specific instructions from the investigative team, the pilot removed the landing gear switch from the airplane without supervision or government oversight. Subsequent examination of the switch revealed that the detent mechanism of the switch was severely worn, and that the wear and tool marks were consistent with the switch having been gripped by a tool, and smeared back and forth over the detent, rather than lifted as designed. Further, the tool marks were evident in areas that would normally be covered by the landing gear switch handle when installed, and also having slipped while smearing the switch over the detent. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 26, 2010 at 0818 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 402C, N26150, operated by Nantucket Shuttle, sustained minor damage following a gear-up landing at Barnstable Municipal Airport (HYA), Hyannis, Massachusetts. The certificated airline transport pilot and seven passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed for the flight which departed Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK), Nantucket, Massachusetts, about 0805. The non-scheduled passenger flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. In a written statement, the pilot/owner/operator said that he was on final approach as he slowed the airplane and incrementally increased the flap settings. He lowered the landing gear about the same time that he deployed the first 15 degrees of flaps, but made no mention of the landing gear lights having been illuminated. When the airplane was "over the numbers," he "added the last of the flaps, 45 degrees." According to the pilot, the airplane then encountered turbulence, bounced, and with the throttles in the idle position, the gear warning horn sounded. The airplane then "hit, with no gear" and slid to a stop. In a written statement, one passenger explained, "When the plane landed, it felt like the wheels were down, and then they collapsed. We slid down the runway until we stopped…The airplane did not go back up into the air." In a written statement, a second passenger added that he "would have to say it was almost like we floated into a skid upon landing. There was no jarring, it felt like a normal landing and then were in a skid." In a written statement, a witness said that he was talking with a friend as they watched the airplanes take off and land at HYA. He said the accident airplane was "just over the fence at Rt. 28 (heading north) and I said to J.O. 'This guy may want to put his landing gear down.' J.O. turned and looked west as within seconds we saw the plane skid across the runway to a stop…" In a telephone interview, the witness told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that the airplane's landing gear remained retracted through the entire approach and landing. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, and a commercial pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued in July 2010. The pilot reported 5,500 total hours of flight experience; of which, 2,500 were in the Cessna 402. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1979. According to the operator, the airplane had accrued 14,580 total aircraft hours. It's most recent annual inspection was completed March 25, 2010 at 14,560 aircraft hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 0756, the weather conditions reported at HYA included clear skies, with visibility 10 miles, and winds from300 degrees at 6 knots. The temperature was 22 degrees Celsius (C), the dewpoint was 13 degrees C, and the altimeter setting was 29.89 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane was examined at the site by the FAA aviation inspector. The airplane's landing gear was fully retracted, and the nose landing gear doors were undamaged except for exterior surface scratches. The flap setting was estimated at 8 degrees, and the flap handle rested between the 15-degree and flaps-up position. The landing gear handle was in the down position. On July 27, 2010, the airplane was placed on jacks and the landing gear was extended and retracted under the supervision of the FAA inspector, with no deficiencies noted. Examination revealed that the main landing gear showed no scratches, scrapes, or any other evidence of abnormal contact with the runway. According to the inspector, he explained to the pilot/operator that the damage to the airplane was not consistent with collapsed landing gear. The pilot then suggested that he must have struck the landing gear handle with his knee when the airplane bounced, which retracted the gear before the second touchdown. After conducting some research, the inspector stated he would return to retrieve the landing gear switch for further examination. In spite of instructions not to touch the airplane without FAA supervision, the owner/operator removed the switch from the airplane while the FAA inspector was absent. The switch was forwarded to the NTSB Materials laboratory, Washington, DC, for further examination. TESTS AND RESEARCH The landing gear switch provided by the pilot owner was examined at the NTSB Materials Laboratory on September 10, 2010. Examination of the detent mechanism of the switch revealed that it was severely worn, and that the wear and tool marks were consistent with the switch gripped by a tool, and moved over the detent, rather than lifted as designed. Further, the tool marks were evident in areas that would normally be covered by the landing gear switch handle when installed, and were consistent with tool slippage during movement of the switch. ## Aircraft - Registration: N26150 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 402C - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 402C0111 - Airframe hours: 14580 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER 300 horsepower reciprocating; CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Nantucket Shuttle, Inc. - Registered owner: Falanga Robert R - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 25, 2010, 20 hours before - Departed: ACK, Nantucket, MA - Destination: HYA, Hyannis, MA - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: HYA, Barnstable Municipal, runway 33, 5,253 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 46; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 2, 2010; seat: left; flight hours: 5,500 total, 2,500 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.88 inHg - Observed at: HYA ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20100726039199I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100726039199I), Jul 26, 2010: Cessna 402C, Hyannis, MA, Minor damage. Aircraft landed with gear up. No damage to landing gear. ## Docket (11 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 25, 2011, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=76770. 6.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Form Memorandum (item 1, .PDF, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342410&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Form%20Memorandum-Master.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 96 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342322&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Passenger Statements (item 3, .PDF, 482 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342324&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statements-Redacted.PDF - Witness Statement (item 4, .PDF, 531 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342326&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - FAA Inspector Statement (item 5, .PDF, 408 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342327&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Record of Conversation (item 6, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40345610&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records Excerpts (item 7, .PDF, 890 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342330&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20Excerpts-Redacted.PDF - Materials Laboratory 15 - Factual Report 10-079 (item 8, .PDF, 1.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40337511&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%2015%20-%20Factual%20Report%2010-079-Master.PDF - Evidence Control Form (item 9, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40343762&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Evidence%20Control%20Form-Master.PDF - Photo #1: View of Airplane Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) (item 10, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342332&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20%231%3A%20View%20of%20Airplane%20Wreckage%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo #2: View of Underside of Wreckage (Courtesy of FAA) (item 11, .PDF, 916 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40342333&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20%232%3A%20View%20of%20Underside%20of%20Wreckage%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF 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.