- Date
- March 8, 1995, 18:00 local (Mar 9, 1995, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Porter, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2621SCessna 337C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950309003379A
- Case key
- 19365
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. Factors were his failure to use a checklist and his diverted attention.
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 inadvertently landed the airplane gear-up. The pilot reported that he was distracted by a flapping noise and forgot to visually check the position of the landing gear. He told his mechanic that there was nothing wrong with the landing gear system. A structural box beam was damaged during ground slide.
Factual narrative
On March 8, 1995, at 1800 central standard time, a Cessna 337C, N2621S, was substantially damaged while landing at the Williams Airport, near Porter, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to a witness at the airport, the airplane made the approach with the landing gear retracted. During the flare, the pilot started to add power just before the propeller blades contacted the asphalt runway.
The pilot told his mechanic that there was nothing wrong with the landing gear system, and that he recalled hearing the landing gear unsafe warning horn during the flare to land. Between one quarter to one half inch of material was ground off a structural box beam on the belly of the aircraft during the ground slide.
In the enclosed pilot/operator report, the pilot stated that he put the gear down and "something flapping distracted his attention, and while looking for the unusual noise, he forgot to visually check the landing gear."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2621S
- Reported as
- Cessna 337C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 337-0921
- Airframe hours
- 2,421
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-C, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- B & J Worrell Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 1995 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- 9XS2
- Airport
- 9XS2 · Williams Airport, runway 35, 2,700 × 50 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 397 total · 80 in this make and model · 291 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IAH, 12 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.