Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 421 near Horseshoe Bay, TX — 2014-04-22

Final reportCEN14LA256
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Date
2014-04-22
Location
Horseshoe Bay, TX, USA
Airport
KDZB
Aircraft
CESSNA 421
Registration
N866BS
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The failure of the drive mechanism for the gearbox motor, which resulted in the gear not extending for the landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that when he lowered the landing gear handle, he heard a loud bang. He stated that the nosewheel landing gear did not appear to be extended and that he could not be see it using the nacelle mirror. In addition, the green landing gear position lights did not illuminate. The pilot went through the emergency checklist and followed the manual landing gear extension procedure. During the landing, the landing gear collapsed and the airplane skidded on the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. An examination revealed that the drive mechanism for the gearbox motor had failed. An examination of the remaining systems revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have opted for a go-around after gear failure indication.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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