# NTSB ERA22LA040: Jack A Frohbieter Questair Venture, N281F, Robbinsville, NJ, October 28, 2021

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: October 28, 2021, 12:10 local (16:10 UTC)
- Place: Robbinsville, NJ
- Coordinates: 40.213944, -74.601778 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.2139&lon=-74.6018&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 104190
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA040
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/104190/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104190
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA040

## Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to utilize the aircraft checklist.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Use of equip/info: use of checklist](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030/cases.md?model=05636C3), [All aircraft, 336 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063030/cases.md)
- [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=05636C3), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md)
- [Action: forgotten action/omission](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md?model=05636C3), [All aircraft, 440 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041035/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090) (defining event); cases with it: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=05636C3), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095); cases with it: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=05636C3), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md)

## Analysis

According to the pilot, during his approach to land he was distracted by an air traffic conflict. As he monitored the conflict, he said that he forgot to use his pre-landing checklist and subsequently failed to extend the landing gear. He believed that he had an opportunity to catch the problem but was concerned about the other aircraft in the traffic pattern. The airplane landed gear up and slid to a stop on the runway. The pilot did not report any anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene confirmed the structural damage to the belly of the airplane.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N281F](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N281F-2024-05-06), registration cancelled 2024-05-06, S/N 70, built 2019 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: JACK A FROHBIETER QUESTAIR VENTURE (NO SERIES)
- Registry model: [Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE](https://openairdocs.org/model/jack-a-frohbieter-questair-venture) (registry code 05636C3) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental IO-550-G](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-g) (registry code 17213, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 70
- Year built: 2019
- Airframe hours: 76
- Engines: Continental IO-550-G1B 280 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, June 14, 2021, 9 hours before
- Destination: Same as departure
- Flight plan: Company VFR
- Airport: N87, Trenton-Robbinsville, runway 11/29, 4,275 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 85; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed; last flight review September 15, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 3,818 total, 76 in this make and model, 3,600 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observed at: KTTN, 11 nm away
- METAR: METAR KTTN 281453Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 13/07 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP140 T01280067 51004=


## 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 20211028018319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211028018319A), Oct 28, 2021: Jack A Frohbieter QUESTAIR VENTURE, Robbinsville, NJ, Substantial damage. The pilot took off on runway 11 to practice takeoffs and landings there. There were other aircraft in the traffic pattern. He did not put the gear down prior…

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104190. 3.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12970720&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20LA040_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Record of conversation pilot (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 484 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12970686&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ROC%20LA040-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 265 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12970676&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20pilot%20statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photo array (item 4, PDF, 2 pages, 411 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12970730&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20LA040-Rel.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.

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