- Date
- January 21, 2018, 02:30 local (07:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sussex, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N884KMCessna 210
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180121001059A
- Case key
- 96642
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 inadvertent landing gear retraction during approach.
Findings · 2
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 pilot of the retractable-landing-gear-equipped airplane reported that, during approach, the green landing gear extended light was illuminated. He further reported that "it [was] possible that [he] inadvertently cycled the landing gear back to a gear up position." The airplane landed gear up and was destroyed by postaccident fire. During a telephone interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the pilot reported that the landing gear handle and the trim wheel were next to each other, and it is probable that, when operating the trim wheel, he moved the landing gear handle. He added that that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that, during approach the green landing gear extended light was illuminated. He further reported that "it [was] possible that [he] inadvertently cycled the landing gear back to a gear up position". The airplane landed gear up and was destroyed by a postaccident fire. During a telephone interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the pilot reported that the landing gear handle and the trim wheel were next to each other and it is probable that when operating the trim wheel, he moved the landing gear handle. He added that that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot used a LightSpeed Zulu headset with ANR (active noise reduction). The manufacturer published a service manual for Cessna 210s from 1960-1965. In the service manual, it stated: "Current production 210 models have incorporated a stall and gear warning unit which has two horns built into the unit, thereby eliminating the need of a speaker."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N884KM
- Reported as
- Cessna 210 (D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058503
- Built
- 1964
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-520-A32D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Destination
- FWN · Sussex, NJ
- Airport
- FWN · Sussex, runway 03, 3,499 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 24, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 150 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KFWN
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.