- Date
- October 4, 2018, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Albermarle, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52881Cessna 177RG
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181004019459A
- Case key
- 98463
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 improper decision to attempt a gear-up glide to the runway and his subsequent failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use a checklist before landing.
Findings · 3
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 in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he "decided to attempt a gear up glide" to the runway. He recalled that he became fixated on reaching the runway and forgot to extend the landing gear. The airplane touched down and skidded to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot recommended adhering to checklists.
Factual narrative
The pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he, "decided to attempt a gear up glide" to the runway. He recalled that he became fixated on the reaching the runway and forgot to extend the landing gear. The airplane touched down and skidded to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52881
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG1298
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 5,988.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cardinal Air
- Registered owner
- Cardinal Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 12, 2017
- Departed
- BQ1 · Carthage, NC
- Destination
- NC25 · Gold Hill, NC
- Airport
- VUJ · Stanly County, runway 22L, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Heads up display
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 15, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 493 total · 419 in this make and model · 372 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KVUJ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.