On November 9, 1998, a Cessna 337C (registration N2655S) was involved in an aviation accident near New Hudson, MI. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the instructor pilot's not maintaining control of the airplane. A factor was the landing gear doors extended. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a landing, the airplane bounced. The instructor pilot attempted an abort with full power, but the airplane departed controlled flight, turning left until the left wing and nose impacted the terrain.
Accident Description
The accident occurred during a landing when the airplane bounced upon touchdown. The instructor pilot stated that he subsequently attempted to abort the landing by applying full power. The airplane then departed controlled flight, turning to the left. The left wing struck the terrain, followed by the nose of the airplane.
Instructor Pilot Statement
The instructor pilot reported that it was possible the landing gear doors had not closed after the landing gear extended. After the accident, the landing gear doors were found in the extended position. The pilot noted that there had been two previous problems with the operation of the doors since the last inspection, and maintenance had been performed on them.
Landing Gear Door Issue
The landing gear doors were observed to be extended following the accident. The instructor pilot indicated that the doors may not have closed properly during the landing gear extension sequence. The airplane had experienced issues with the doors twice since its last inspection, which had been addressed through maintenance actions.