Casualties unknown

Main Landing Gear Collapse During Landing Roll (N444CB)

Kansas City, MO, US

On November 15, 2007, an Aero Commander GA-500-B (registration N444CB) was involved in an aviation accident near Kansas City, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot delayed lowering the landing gear in the landing sequence and the main gear were not in the down and locked position upon touchdown. 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

During landing, the main landing gear collapsed after touchdown, causing the airplane to skid on its belly. Inspection revealed no failure of the lock down mechanism.

Accident Summary

The pilot reported that during a visual approach following jet traffic, he performed the landing checklist, lowered the landing gear and flaps, and confirmed that the three green lights illuminated. The flare and landing were normal. When the nose gear touched the runway, he applied brake pressure. He then reported that the "main landing gear collapsed and I could no longer maintain centerline of the runway." The airplane skidded on its belly for about 270 feet.

Inspection Findings

Inspection of the airplane revealed that the left and right main landing gear were folded back with the wheels canted sideways and resting on the runway. The nose gear was in the down position. The landing gear handle was found in the down and locked position. When the master switch was turned on, the nose gear down lock light was on, but the left and right main gear lock lights were not on.

The airplane was raised up using a forklift and aircraft jacks. When the main landing gear were free of the runway, both main landing gear locked in place in the down position. When the airplane was lowered onto its main landing gear, the two main landing gear lights illuminated. The propellers had not struck the runway during the accident, so the engines were started and the airplane was taxied back to the operator's hangar.

Inspection of the main landing gear revealed that there was no evidence that the airplane's main landing gear lock down mechanism had failed on either the left or right main landing gear.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20071212X01934. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.