Accident Overview
On February 18, 2020, at approximately 1850 central standard time, a Cessna 177RG airplane, registered as N2763V, experienced a landing gear collapse during landing at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS) in Chesterfield, Missouri. The aircraft was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight by a private individual. The student pilot and flight instructor aboard were not injured.
Pilot Reports
The flight instructor reported that the landing gear selector handle was in the down position and the gear down indicator (green) light was illuminated on short final. The right main landing gear appeared fully extended when viewed from the right-side window. After the airplane touched down on the runway, the landing gear collapsed.
The student pilot stated that the flight instructor announced "green clear to land" as the aircraft crossed the airport perimeter fence on final approach. The student pilot performed a before-landing "GUMPS" check and placed his hand on the landing gear handle to confirm it was down. The touchdown was described as "soft," but during the rollout, the airplane began "sinking," and the belly subsequently contacted the ground.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the landing gear system was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector with assistance from a local maintenance facility. The airplane was placed on jacks, and the landing gear was retracted and extended five times with no anomalies noted. The landing gear system functioned normally, locking in both the up and down positions. The cockpit gear position indicator lights operated correctly. The emergency extension system was also actuated and operated without anomaly.
Damage Assessment
The airplane sustained extensive scraping damage to the lower fuselage, including the aft, exterior portion of the nose landing gear doors and the forward, outboard portion of the steps installed on the main landing gear struts. The main wheel tires exhibited normal wear and no transverse abrasion.