- Date
- February 13, 2019, 16:20 local (21:20 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5223VCessna 172RG
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20190213015439A
- Case key
- 98998
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 before landing. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s inability to see the landing gear position light because his iPad was blocking his view of it and his feeling of being rushed during the approach and landing.
Findings · 7
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, he noticed the airplane was a little high, so he reduced power to idle and heard an alert horn. He quickly scanned the engine gauges and saw that the manifold pressure gauge was "pegged at the bottom with no indication." He considered conducting a go-around but decided to land and assess the situation on the ground. The pilot landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted. The pilot added that he did not see the landing gear position light because his iPad, which was sitting on the yoke, blocked his view. He added that, leading up to the approach and landing, the flight was fast paced, and he felt rushed, which attributed to his assumption that he was in his "typical" fixed-landing gear airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported 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, he noticed he was a little high, so he reduced power to idle and heard an alert horn. He quickly scanned the engine gauges and observed that the manifold pressure gauge was "pegged at the bottom with no indication". He considered performing a go around but decided to land and assess the situation on the ground. The pilot landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted. The pilot added that he did not see the landing gear position light because his iPad sitting on the yoke blocked his view. He added that leading up to the approach and landing, the flight was fast paced, and he felt rushed, which attributed to him assuming he was in his "typical" fixed landing gear airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5223V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0476
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 6,558.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 11, 2018
- Departed
- FTY · Atlanta, GA
- Destination
- RYY · Atlanta, GA
- Airport
- RYY · Cobb County Intl-Mccollum Fiel, runway 27, 6,295 × 100 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 17 in this make and model · 157 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KRYY
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.
Other investigations on N5223V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.