No fatalities

Pilot Reports Distraction Led to Gear-Up Landing

Prescott, AZ, United States

On January 23, 2016, a CESSNA TR182 NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Prescott, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot became distracted while looking for other traffic during the final approach and failed to lower the gear. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported failing to lower the landing gear during final approach due to distraction while looking for traffic. The aircraft skidded to a stop, sustaining substantial fuselage damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during the final approach, he became distracted while searching for other traffic and subsequently failed to lower the landing gear. The aircraft made contact with the runway with the gear retracted, skidding approximately 330 feet before coming to a stop.

Aircraft Damage

The fuselage sustained substantial damage as a result of the gear-up landing. The pilot noted that there were no other mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Landing Gear Warning System

The pilot stated that the landing gear configuration warning horn did not sound during the approach. However, he also reported that he was aware that the warning horn was inoperative prior to the incident.

Probable cause

The pilot became distracted while looking for other traffic during the final approach and failed to lower the gear.

Contributing factors

PilotNot used/operated