Cessna 172RG N4721R

Summary

On 25 December 2003 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N4721R, operated by Avion Jet Center, LLC, was involved in an accident near Key West, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 December 2003 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Key West, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Key West International (KEYW)

Coordinates

24.5500, -81.7500

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N4721R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Avion Jet Center, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Pierce → Key West

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

MIA04LA038

Nobody was injured.

Pilot's improper emergency landing gear extension procedure which resulted in the right main landing gear not locking in the down position subsequent right main landing gear collapsing on landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On approach the pilot selected to extend the landing gear, but he did not get a green light to confirm all three landing gear were down and locked. He checked the electrical fuses and performed several cycles of gear extension with no change to the indication of the landing gear position. He pumped the emergency gear extension hand pump. He advised air traffic control and was instructed to perform several low fly-bys. Tower and fire rescue personnel visually verified that all three landing gear were down. As the airplane's main landing gear touched the runway in a soft field-landing configuration, the right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he pumped the emergency gear extension pump handle until he felt resistances. He could not remember how many strokes exactly he performed, somewhere from 2 to 3 strokes. The main landing gears were operationally checked once with the airplane's own battery power and twice with the emergency landing gear extension hydraulic hand pump for manual extension of landing gears. The main landing gears extended and locked into position within 12 to 15 pumps of the emergency landing gear extension hydraulic hand pump. No defects were observed in the operation of the extension and locking of the main landing gears by hand pump. An examination of the main landing left and right gear actuators and locking systems revealed no anomalies. Avion's chief flight instructor stated close to a month before the accident, on the accident airplane, he had to perform an emergency extension of the landing gear by the hand pump; more so, it took anywhere from 10 to 20 pumps to lower the gear and into the lock position. According to the chief pilot who checked out the pilot only verbal instructions on how to extend the landing gear by hand pump was given during the check ride in the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.