Casualties unknown

Wheels-Up Landing at Effingham County Memorial Airport (N711NE)

Effingham, IL, US

On June 4, 1999, an Aero Commander 500 (registration N711NE) was involved in an aviation accident near Effingham, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: inadvertent wheels-up landing and the checklist not followed by the pilot. The landing gear lever not engaged was an additional cause. 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 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot conducted a wheels-up landing on runway 29 at Effingham County Memorial Airport after inadvertently failing to extend the landing gear, mistaking the gear warning horn for a stall warning.

Accident Details

The airplane made a wheels-up landing on runway 29 at Effingham County Memorial Airport in Effingham, Illinois. The pilot reported that he had lowered the landing gear and completed a checklist consisting of seven items, one of which was the landing gear. He stated that on the base leg he began to add flaps. He touched down on the runway's centerline, at which point he began to hear a low vibration.

Investigation Findings

The pilot added that when the throttles were retarded to the idle position, the gear warning horn sounded, which he initially thought was the stall warning horn. The pilot stated that during the aircraft's recovery, he selected the master switch to the 'ON' position, and the landing gear warning horn sounded. He then stated that when he lowered the landing gear handle, the landing gear extended. The pilot described the placement of the flap control and landing gear control as being separated by a distance of approximately five inches.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X18936. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.