Cessna 337 N86507

Summary

On 29 May 2018 at about 17:45 local time, a Cessna 337 registered N86507 was involved in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia, 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

29 May 2018 at 17:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Dekalb-Peachtree (PDK)

Coordinates

33.8756, -84.3019

Aircraft

Cessna 337

Registration

N86507

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Atlanta → Atlanta

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA176

Nobody was injured.

An area of pitting and corrosion on the surface of the aluminum hydraulic line connecting the emergency handle/pump to the electric hydraulic pump, which resulted in a loss of hydraulic pressure and the pilot’s inability to extend the landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a cross-country, personal flight. He stated that, while on approach to the destination airport, he was unable to extend the landing gear. He declared an emergency and attempted to pump the landing gear down via the emergency gear-extension handle to no avail. He then observed a large puddle of red hydraulic fluid on the floorboards near the hydraulic pump. The pilot realized that he would not be able to extend the gear and conducted a gear-up landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the hydraulic reservoir was nearly empty. When the emergency handle was activated, a stream of hydraulic fluid sprayed from the surface of the aluminum hydraulic line connecting the emergency handle/pump to the electric hydraulic pump that was mounted under and behind the pilot's instrument panel. Magnified visual examination of the leaking hydraulic line revealed an area of corrosion and pitting on the aluminum surface, which likely resulted in a loss of hydraulic pressure and the pilot's inability to extend the landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.