No fatalities

21 Jan 2018: CESSNA 210 D — SUSSEX, NJ

SUSSEX, NJ, United States

On 21 Jan 2018, a CESSNA 210 D was involved in an aviation accident near SUSSEX, NJ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadvertent movement of the landing gear handle while operating the trim wheel, leading to a gear-up landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A retractable-gear airplane landed with gear up after the pilot likely moved the landing gear handle while operating the trim wheel. The aircraft was destroyed by postaccident fire.

Accident Details

A pilot flying a retractable landing gear-equipped airplane reported that during approach, the green landing gear extended light was illuminated. The pilot stated that it was possible he inadvertently cycled the landing gear back to a gear-up position. The airplane subsequently landed with the gear retracted and was destroyed by a postaccident fire.

Pilot Statement

During a telephone interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the pilot reported that the landing gear handle and the trim wheel were located next to each other. He indicated that it is probable that while operating the trim wheel, he moved the landing gear handle. The pilot added that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Additional Information

A friend of the pilot reported that the pilot used a LightSpeed Zulu headset with active noise reduction (ANR). The manufacturer published a service manual for Cessna 210s from 1960-1965, which stated that current production 210 models incorporated a stall and gear warning unit with two horns built into the unit, eliminating the need for a speaker.

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent movement of the landing gear handle while operating the trim wheel, leading to a gear-up landing.

Contributing factors

Unintentional use/operationPilot