Cessna 172RG N9415B

Summary

On 21 January 2018 at about 18:04 local time, a Cessna 172RG registered N9415B was involved in an accident near Martinsburg, West Virginia, 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

21 January 2018 at 18:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Eastern West Virginia Regional (MRB)

Coordinates

39.4022, -77.9831

Aircraft

Cessna 172RG

Registration

N9415B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Martinsburg → Martinsburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA067

Nobody was injured.

A hydraulic leak in the right main landing gear actuator, which resulted in the main landing gear not extending.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that he and the private pilot were about to make their seventh landing, but when the pilot extended the gear, the gear down-and-locked light did not illuminate. A visual check revealed that the nose gear was extended but the main gear was not fully extended. The flight instructor used the emergency gear handle to try and pump the main gear down, but there was insufficient hydraulic pressure in the system. The flight instructor landed the airplane with the nosewheel extended, but the airplane’s left wing dropped, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and the elevator. After exiting the airplane, hydraulic fluid was observed pooling under the airplane and along the side of the empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that an O-ring inside the right gear actuator failed and was leaking hydraulic fluid. Because the landing gear is extended/retracted by hydraulic pressure, the leak likely prevented the system from having adequate pressure for the electric pump and the manual gear handle to extend the gear.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.