Casualties unknown

1996-04-05: Cessna T210R (N7659U) — Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque, NM, US

On April 5, 1996, a Cessna T210R (registration N7659U) was involved in an aviation accident near Albuquerque, NM. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. Factors were his failure to follow the checklist and his diverted attention due to other traffic. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot landed with the landing gear retracted after aborting a crosswind landing and being distracted by traffic. The aircraft touched down on runway 30 with the gear up following an earlier bounced landing.

Incident Overview

During a crosswind landing on runway 30, the aircraft skipped sideways after touchdown, prompting the pilot to abort the landing. The air traffic control tower instructed the pilot to execute a left downwind pattern and subsequently cleared the aircraft to land on the same runway again. Prior to the second approach, the tower advised the pilot of traffic operating both ahead of and behind the aircraft.

Final Landing

The pilot continued the approach and completed the landing, but the aircraft touched down with the landing gear retracted. The pilot later reported that his attention was diverted by the presence of traffic ahead and behind, and that he was also apprehensive regarding the crosswind conditions. No other factors were cited.

Pilot Statement

In his statement, the pilot indicated that the combination of traffic awareness and concern about the crosswind contributed to his distraction during the final phase of flight, leading to the omission of the landing gear extension before touchdown.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X05550. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.