Aero Commander 500S N33PG
12 June 1999 · Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 12 June 1999 at about 17:35 local time, a Aero Commander 500S registered N33PG was involved in an accident near Windsor Locks, Connecticut, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 17:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Windsor Locks, Connecticut, United States
- Nearest airport
- Bradley Intl Airport (BDL)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500S
- Registration
- N33PG
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- White Plains → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC99LA139
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Hydraulic system contamination which prevented normal landing gear extension. A factor was the misjudged landing flare by the flying pilot.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot in command was flying the airplane with a safety pilot onboard. After multiple approaches, when the landing gear was extended, only the nose landing gear extended. Unable to extend the main landing gear, the pilot in command requested that the second pilot perform the gear up landing, because of his greater experience. The propellers were feathered prior to touchdown, and the airplane touched down hard, crushing the lower aft fuselage. Examination of the hydraulic system revealed contamination in the system. According to the mechanic who worked on the airplane, '...the contamination caused the main gear uplock cylinder not to release and allow the gear to extend....' The airplane is not equipped with an alternate gear extension system, therefore, if the hydraulic uplock valve cannot be released, the main gear cannot be extended.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aero Commander 500 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 1999 | Aero Commander 500B | Shelter Cove, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 1999 | Aero Commander 500 | Georgetown, South Carolina, United States | Thomas H. Hoffman | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 May 1999 | Aero Commander 500B | Atlantic Ocean | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Sep 1999 | Aero Commander 500S | La Tinta, Guatemala | Richardo Balzaretti Kriete | Fatal | 6 |
| 4 Jun 1999 | Aero Commander 500 | Effingham, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 May 1998 | Aero Commander 500-A | Billings, Montana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Dec 1999 | Cessna 152 | N. Stonington, Connecticut, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Dec 1999 | Mooney 20J | New Milford, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 1999 | Cessna 305A | Warehouse Point, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 1999 | Abrams TITAN TORNADO | Monroe, Connecticut, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1999 | Cessna 185E | East Haddam, Connecticut, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 21 Feb 1999 | Stinson 108-3 | Bristol, Connecticut, United States | - | No injuries | - |