- Date
- October 15, 2017, 14:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5159UCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Landing: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171015014679A
- Case key
- 96195
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 failure of the right main landing gear for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Findings · 1
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
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to conduct commercial maneuvers in the local area. After completing maneuvers in the practice area, the pilot flew the airplane to the airport to conduct takeoffs and landings. The student pilot reported that he did his landing checklist about midfield on the downwind. After he put the landing gear handle down, he noted that he heard the landing gear hydraulic motor actuating. He added that he glanced at the gear down indictor light and believed that it was green. During the touchdown, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. After exiting the airplane, the flight instructor and student pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was down, the green gear down light was not illuminated, and the circuit breaker for the gear pump was open. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. During a postaccident examination, the airplane was lifted by jacks, and the landing gear were swung five times. The malfunction could not be reproduced, and no anomalies were noted.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to conduct commercial maneuvers in the local area. After completing maneuvers in the practice area, the airplane went to the airport to conduct takeoff and landings. The student pilot reported that during the third landing, he did his landing checklist about midfield on the downwind. After he put the landing gear handle down, he noted that he heard the landing gear hydraulic motor actuating. He added that he glanced at the gear down indictor light and believed that it was green. During the touchdown the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. After exiting the airplane, the flight instructor and student pilot noticed that the landing gear handle was down, the green gear down light was not illuminated, and the circuit breaker for the gear pump was open. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. During a postaccident examination, the airplane was lifted up by jacks and the landing gear was swung 5 times. The malfunction could not be reproduced, and no anomalies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5159U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0265
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 5,479.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Crest Airpark Inc.
- Registered owner
- Crest Airpark Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 30, 2017
- Departed
- S36 · Kent, WA
- Destination
- S50 · Auburn, WA
- Airport
- S50 · Auburn Muni, runway 34, 3,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 22, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 197 total · 14 in this make and model · 137 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 3, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 8,850 as pilot in command · 167 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KSEA, 8 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.