- Date
- July 11, 2012, 20:30 local (Jul 12, 2012, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N787AECessna T210L
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Salt Lake FSDO
- Case key
- 84372
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 was an uncorrected malfunction of the landing gear warning horn system.
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 reported that, in anticipation of a difficult approach and landing due to the reported wind, he configured the airplane early with the mixture rich, propeller at high rpm, and the fuel selected to the fullest tank. He did not extend the landing gear due to the distance from the airport. The pilot entered the traffic pattern on a normal 45-degree entry for landing. On final approach, he failed to perform the prelanding checklist and to confirm that the landing gear was down. The airplane touched down on the runway with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that, during the annual inspection, the gear warning horn system was noted to be out of adjustment, and this had not been resolved. The pilot reported no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that in anticipation of a difficult approach and landing due to reported winds he configured the airplane early with the mixture-rich, propeller-high rpm, and the fuel selected to the fullest tank. He did not extend the landing gear due to the distance from the airport. The pilot entered the traffic pattern on a normal 45-degree entry for landing. On final approach he failed to perform the pre-landing checklist and confirm the landing gear was down. The airplane touched down on the runway surface with the landing gear retracted, which caused substantial damage to the fuselage structure. The pilot stated that during the annual inspection there had been an anomaly in the gear warning horn system and it was noted to be out of adjustment and had not been resolved. The pilot reported no other preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N787AE
- Reported as
- Cessna T210L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21059799
- Airframe hours
- 2,650
- Engine
- Continental Motors TSIO-520 SER, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2012
- Departed
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
- Destination
- IDA · Idaho Falls, ID
- Airport
- IDA · Idaho Falls Regional Airport, runway 02, 9,002 × 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 2, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 427 total · 93 in this make and model · 383 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 50° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Observed at
- IDA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 23, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 791 KB in all.