- Date
- March 9, 2019, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Chandler, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N732SJCessna T210
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190309010659A
- Case key
- 99140
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 distraction while looking for other aircraft in the traffic pattern, which resulted in his failure to follow a prelanding checklist and to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the improperly rigged landing gear warning switch, which prevented an audible warning sound.
Findings · 5
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, while in the traffic pattern, he was distracted while looking for other aircraft and failed to continue the landing checklist, but he assumed it was completed. During the approach, he reduced power and did not hear the landing gear warning horn. The pilot then landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted. The pilot added that, during the recovery process with a tow truck, they attempted to troubleshoot the landing gear warning system, but they still did not hear the landing gear warning horn. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administrator inspector revealed that the landing gear audible warning horn switch on the bulkhead (engine compartment) was improperly rigged, and the horn did not sound when tested. He added that the airplane was equipped with a mirror on the right wing, which the pilot could have used to visually check if the landing gear were extended.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the retractable landing gear equipped-airplane reported that, while in the traffic pattern, he was distracted looking for other aircraft and failed to continue the landing checklist, but assumed it was completed. During approach, he reduced power, but did not hear the landing gear warning horn. The pilot then landed the airplane with the landing gear retracted. The pilot added that, during the recovery process with a tow truck, they attempted to troubleshoot the landing gear warning system, but they did not hear the landing gear warning horn again. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination by the Federal Aviation Administrator inspector revealed that the landing gear audible warning horn switch on the bulkhead (engine compartment) was improperly rigged and the horn did not sound when tested. He added that the airplane was equipped with a mirror on the right wing which the pilot could have used to visually check if the landing gear was extended.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N732SJ
- Reported as
- Cessna T210 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21061735
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,492.2
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-R9B, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 2018
- Departed
- A39 · Maricopa, AZ
- Destination
- CHD · Chandler, AZ
- Airport
- CHD · Chandler Muni, runway 22L, 4,870 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather
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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,121 total · 196 in this make and model · 1,047 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KCHD
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 17, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.5 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.