On June 27, 2003, a Cessna P206 (registration N2825X) was involved in an aviation accident near Gooding, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to remove the tow bar before takeoff, which led to a landing gear collapse upon subsequent touchdown. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot inadvertently departed with a tow bar attached to the nose gear, returned to land, bounced on touchdown, and collapsed the gear.
What happened
The pilot reported that he inadvertently took off with a tow bar still attached to the airplane's nose gear. The pilot subsequently returned to the airport for landing. The pilot reported that during the landing the airplane touched down and bounced back into the air. When it touched down a second time the nose gear collapsed resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Findings
The investigation revealed that the tow bar was left attached during takeoff, which likely contributed to the substantial damage sustained when the nose gear failed upon the second touchdown.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to remove the tow bar before takeoff, which led to a landing gear collapse upon subsequent touchdown.