- Date
- March 4, 1995, 20:16 local (Mar 5, 1995, 01:16 UTC)
- Place
- Orlando, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47UCessna R182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 19, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950304003159A
- Case key
- 37736
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 failure of the pilot-in-command to insure the landing gear was extended before landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated he visually verified the landing gear was extended and observed a gear down light before landing. During landing the nose began to shimmy and the aircraft settled to the runway. The right front seat passenger stated the landing gear handle was in the up position after the aircraft came to rest. The rear seat passenger stated he heard a warning horn and observed a red light illuminated on the instrument panel during the landing. FAA inspectors stated the aircraft had damage which was consistent with the landing gear being retracted during the entire landing sequence. Damage on the runway caused by the aircraft extended 1,000 feet. After the aircraft was raised the landing gear extended normally and locked. Further testing of the landing gear indicated it operated normally after the accident.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 1995, about 2016 eastern standard time, a Cessna R182, N47U, registered to Aleco Inc., landed gear up at Orlando International Airport, Orlando, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 business flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Birmingham, Alabama, on March 4, 1995, about 1700.
The pilot stated he visually inspected the landing gear and verified he had a gear down light on final approach. As the aircraft touched down he felt a shimmy from the nose and the aircraft settled to the runway.
Examination by FAA inspectors indicated that scrape marks and propeller damage from the aircraft extended for about 1,000 feet on the runway. The aircraft's belly had sustained substantial damage due to sliding on the runway. The aircraft's landing gear, landing gear doors, and landing gear tires had no scuff marks or damage. The FAA inspectors stated all the areas checked during their inspection indicated that the landing gear was in the full retracted position throughout the entire landing.
The right front seat passenger stated she found the landing gear handle in the up position after landing. The rear seat passenger stated that during landing he heard a horn sounding and observed a red light on the instrument panel. After the accident the aircraft was raised. The landing gear handle was placed in the gear down position and the gear extended and locked. Further retraction testing of the landing gear system revealed no evidence to indicate precrash failure or malfunction of the landing gear system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47U
- Reported as
- Cessna R182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R18201525
- Airframe hours
- 1,162
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-L3C5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aleco Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 1994 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MCO · Orlando International, runway 35, 10,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 28
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 54 in this make and model · 767 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.