- Date
- July 10, 2019, 08:00 local (12:00 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N757PUCessna R182
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190710016799A
- Case key
- 99814
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 verify that the main landing gear were extended, which resulted in landing with partially extended landing gear. Contributing to the accident was a tripped landing gear motor circuit breaker.
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 of the retractable, landing gear-equipped airplane reported that, after takeoff, there was an issue with the alternator. He checked the circuit breakers, which were "in," and decided to land at a nearby airport to have the alternator examined. During the approach, he placed the landing gear handle in the gear extended position. He said it felt "normal" but that he did not remember if he heard the landing gear motor. He did not look outside the high-wing airplane to check the landing gear position, and he did not remember seeing the green landing gear position lights illuminate. He added that the landing gear warning horn did not sound. He reported that, during landing, the nose landing gear was down and locked, but the main landing gear were trailing behind the airplane, and the airplane slid to the left side of the runway. The pilot reported that, if he knew the gear had not extended, he would have manually pumped the landing gear down. The mechanic reported that, when he arrived at the airplane postaccident, the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. He jacked up the airplane and repositioned the landing gear and then turned on the power, pushed in the landing gear circuit breaker, and raised the landing gear. He did not recall hearing the warning horn but mentioned that the throttle "may have been pushed in." He successfully cycled the landing gear multiple times. The mechanic added that a previous pilot of the accident airplane reported that the landing gear circuit breaker would often pop and that he would lower the landing gear with the manual pump. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the retractable landing gear airplane reported that, after takeoff, there was an issue with the alternator. He checked the circuit breakers, which were "in," and decided to land at a nearby airport to have the alternator examined. During approach, he performed a GUMPS check and placed the landing gear handle in the gear extended position. It felt "normal", but he did not remember if he heard the landing gear motor. He did not look outside the high-wing airplane to check the landing gear position and he did not remember seeing the green landing gear position lights. He added that the landing gear warning horn did not sound. He reported that during landing the nose landing gear was down and locked, but the main landing gear were trailing behind the airplane, and the airplane slid to the left side of the runway. The pilot reported that if he knew the gear had not extended, he would have manually pumped the landing gear down. The mechanic reported that when he arrived at the airplane postaccident, the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. They jacked the airplane and repositioned the landing gear. He then turned on the power, pushed in the landing gear circuit breaker, and raised the landing gear. He did not recall hearing the warning horn, but mentioned that the throttle "may have been pushed in." They successfully cycled the landing gear multiple times. The mechanic added that a previous pilot of the accident airplane reported that the landing gear circuit breaker would often pop and he would lower the landing gear with the manual pump. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757PU
- Reported as
- Cessna R182 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18201253
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3C5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Williamsburg Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Avs Aviation Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 19, 2019
- Departed
- JGG · Williamsburg, VA
- Destination
- PTB · Petersburg, VA
- Airport
- PTB · Dinwiddie County, runway 23, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 80 in this make and model · 850 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KPTB
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.