What happened
On August 12, 2025, at approximately 1330 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna TR182, registration N619MW, was involved in an accident near San Diego, California. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
After reaching the top of a climb, the pilot observed that the aircraft was failing to accelerate. Consequently, the pilot canceled the instrument flight plan and initiated a return to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF). During the descent, the pilot attempted to lower the landing gear but received no positive indication that the gear was down. After declaring an emergency, the pilot performed two low-pass fly-bys at the airport. During these passes, the tower controller observed that the nose landing gear was extended while the main landing gear remained retracted.
Despite multiple attempts to deploy the gear, including the use of the emergency extension handle, the gear failed to lock. During the landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot and passenger were not injured.
The investigation
FAA mechanics inspected the aircraft and determined that the hydraulic system contained no hydraulic fluid. The investigation revealed that the hydraulic fluid pressure hose, which provides the landing gear down position, had failed at the swedge near the fitting end.