- Date
- August 24, 2020, 10:03 local (17:03 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N926TANorthrop F5
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear not configured
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200824014179A
- Case key
- 101861
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 complete the pre-landing checklist due to a distraction which resulted in a gear-up landing.
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 operator reported that while the pilot was in the airport traffic pattern, he was distracted by a radio transmission on the common traffic advisory frequency from additional landing traffic at the airport. The operator stated that the pilot continued his approach to landing, with the landing gear still retracted, having not completed the landing checklist. While on final approach, the pilot received a "terrain, terrain" alert, and perceived he was slightly low, and added power. Subsequently, the airplane landed gear up. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The operator reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The operator reported that while the pilot was in the airport traffic pattern, he was distracted by a radio transmission on the common traffic advisory frequency from additional landing traffic at the airport. The operator stated that the pilot continued his approach to landing, with the landing gear still retracted, having not completed the landing checklist. While on final approach, the pilot received a "terrain, terrain" alert, and perceived he was slightly low, and added power. Subsequently, the airplane landed gear up. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer. The operator reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926TA
- Reported as
- Northrop F5 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75-0493
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 2,335.1
- Engines
- General Electric J85-21C, 5,000 lbs thrust, turbo jetGeneral Electric J85-21C, 5,000 lbs thrust, turbo jet
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 13, 2020
- Departed
- RTS · Reno, NV
- Destination
- RTS · Reno, NV
- Airport
- RTS · Reno/Stead, runway 14, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Video recording device, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 5, 2020
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,838 total · 17 in this make and model · 2,350 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Icing
- Unknown
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KRTS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.