Cessna 337G accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, October 13, 1996
On October 13, 1996 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Cessna 337G, registered N20EC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Fayetteville Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The unapproved maintenance modification of the landing gear electrical system by maintenance personnel that prevented the extension of the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 1996 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · Fayetteville Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337G · all 337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N20EC · no longer on the register · serial 33701654
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon entering the traffic pattern for a full stop landing at the original destination airport, the pilot placed the landing gear extension handle in the down position, and discovered that the landing gear would not extend. The pilot flew to Fayetteville and conducted several over-flights for the control tower to check the aircraft for the landing gear extension. After three hours of flight, the pilot shut down the front engine and landed the airplane with the rear engine running. An examination of the aircraft revealed that an unauthorized on/off switch had been installed under the instrument panel for the landing gear system. According to the pilot, when the switch was placed in the on position, the landing gear would retract but would not extend. There were no write-ups in the aircraft maintenance logs or the aircraft checklist that revealed the installation of this switch. Neither the pilot nor the new owner of the airplane were aware of the unauthorized switch installation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,730 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 6,451 as pilot in command; 6,083 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,140 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 27, 1996; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAY at 1:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 4,802 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:05 pm from FAY, 360 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.