Cessna 402C N26150

Summary

On 26 July 2010 at about 12:18 local time, a Cessna 402C registered N26150, operated by Nantucket Shuttle, Inc., was involved in an incident near Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States. 8 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 July 2010 at 12:18

Classification

Incident

Location

Hyannis, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Barnstable Municipal (HYA)

Coordinates

41.6681, -70.2747

Aircraft

Cessna 402C

Registration

N26150

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Nantucket Shuttle, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nantucket → Hyannis

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA10IA378

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing flare and touchdown.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/owner/operator said that he was on final approach as he slowed the airplane and incrementally increased the flap settings. He lowered the landing gear about the same time that he deployed the first 15 degrees of flaps, but made no mention of the landing gear lights having been illuminated. When the airplane was over the runway threshold, he added the last of the flaps, encountered turbulence, bounced, and the airplane then landed with the gear up and slid to a stop. Passengers in the airplane said that the airplane skidded to a stop after ground contact and did not bounce. Witnesses stated that the landing gear was retracted during the entire approach and landing. The airplane was placed on jacks and the landing gear was extended and retracted, with no deficiencies noted. Examination revealed that the main landing gear showed no scratches, scrapes, or any other evidence of abnormal contact with the runway. The pilot then suggested that he must have struck the landing gear handle with his knee when the airplane bounced, which retracted the gear before the second touchdown. Contrary to specific instructions from the investigative team, the pilot removed the landing gear switch from the airplane without supervision or government oversight. Subsequent examination of the switch revealed that the detent mechanism of the switch was severely worn, and that the wear and tool marks were consistent with the switch having been gripped by a tool, and smeared back and forth over the detent, rather than lifted as designed. Further, the tool marks were evident in areas that would normally be covered by the landing gear switch handle when installed, and also having slipped while smearing the switch over the detent.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.