Cessna 177RG N52881

Summary

On 4 October 2018 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N52881, operated by Cardinal Air, was involved in an accident near Albermarle, North Carolina, 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

4 October 2018 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Albermarle, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Stanly County (VUJ)

Coordinates

35.4167, -80.1508

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N52881

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Cardinal Air

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Carthage → Gold Hill

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA017

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper decision to attempt a gear-up glide to the runway and his subsequent failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to use a checklist before landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane reported that he "decided to attempt a gear up glide" to the runway. He recalled that he became fixated on reaching the runway and forgot to extend the landing gear. The airplane touched down and skidded to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage bulkheads. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot recommended adhering to checklists.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.