- Date
- April 18, 2013, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Corvallis, OR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N711BGCessna P210N
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20130418008339A
- Case key
- 87066
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 inadvertent selection and activation of the landing gear handle rather than the flap handle during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to alter the configuration of the airplane before exiting the runway.
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
At the conclusion of a cross-country flight and as the airplane was approaching the non-towered airport, the pilot announced his position and his intention to conduct a straight-in approach to runway 35. The landing was normal, and during the landing roll, when the airplane had slowed to about 50 knots, the pilot decided to retract the flaps. However, he inadvertently grasped and raised the landing gear handle instead, and the nose gear retracted. The main gear remained extended, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose keel structure, as well as damage to the cowl, nose gear doors, and propeller. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported, “When landing, pilot should make no changes to flaps or other systems until the airplane has fully decelerated.”
Factual narrative
At the conclusion of a cross-country flight, the pilot announced his position as he was approaching the non-towered airport with the intention to conduct a straight in approach to runway 35. The landing was normal, and the pilot reported that there was "at least" 4,000 feet of runway remaining after touchdown. During the landing roll, when the airplane had slowed to about 50 knots, he decided to retract the flaps. However, he inadvertently grasped and raised the landing gear handle instead, and the nose gear retracted. The main gear remained extended, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose keel structure, as well as damage to the cowl, nose gear doors, and propeller. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported, “When landing, pilot should make no changes to flaps or other systems until the airplane has fully decelerated.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N711BG
- Reported as
- Cessna P210N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- P21000806
- Airframe hours
- 3,436
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2012
- Departed
- MRY · Monterey, CA
- Destination
- CVO · Corvallis, OR
- Airport
- CVO · Corvallis Municipal, runway 35, 5,900 × 150 ft, asphalt
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 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,886 total · 381 in this make and model · 1,774 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.42 inHg
- Observed at
- CVO
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 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 N711BG · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.