On April 20, 2002, a Cessna P210N (registration N734VS) operated by Robert Hodgins was involved in an aviation accident near Linden, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear prior to landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot landed with the gear retracted after misinterpreting a warning horn as a stall warning during flare. No mechanical anomalies were found.
Incident Overview
The pilot entered the traffic pattern on the downwind leg, extended full flaps, and flew the final approach at 90 knots. During the flare for landing, the pilot heard the sound of a horn and assumed it was the stall warning horn. However, as the airplane touched down, the pilot realized the landing gear was not extended.
Post-Landing Inspection
An operational check of the landing gear system revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Findings
The incident occurred without any identified mechanical malfunctions. The pilot's assumption regarding the warning horn was central to the sequence of events.