Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 421C near Greenville, NC — 2008-06-02

Final reportNYC08LA204
Sign in to save
Date
2008-06-02
Location
Greenville, NC, USA
Airport
PGV
Aircraft
CESSNA 421C
Registration
N49DD
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The malfunction and premature retraction of the landing gear for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The accident pilot was preparing to fly the airplane back to its home base. When he taxied the airplane for departure the "Hydraulic Flow" light remained illuminated at a "higher than normal" engine rpm. He then taxied the airplane back to the ramp in order to have a mechanic investigate the cause for the light. The mechanic informed the pilot that it was "probably a sensor problem" and that the airplane should be safe to fly. The pilot then taxied back to runway 2 for departure. During the takeoff roll, at a speed of about 90 knots, the pilot heard a loud "bang." The airplane settled onto the runway, slid on the underside of the fuselage, and stopped on the right edge of the runway pavement. The damage was limited to the propeller tips, skin on the underside of the fuselage, and a penetration of the pressure vessel on the right side of the fuselage near the right cockpit seat. The airplane was loaded onto a trailer, and moved to another location on the airport for further examination. When the airplane was lifted from the trailer, the landing gear was manually extended and secured. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a local mechanic revealed no preimpact deficiencies with the landing gear and the associated systems. The installation and functionality of the landing gear torque link safety switch was found to be in accordance with the manufacturer's guidance.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

Related mishaps