Curtiss Wright P-40E incident near Lincoln, Nebraska, October 24, 2009
On October 24, 2009 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Curtiss Wright P-40E, registered N4420K, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Lincoln, Nebraska (Lincoln Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The right landing gear's partial retraction during landing due to paint contamination of the landing gear handle detent.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2009 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lincoln, Nebraska · Lincoln Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss Wright P-40E · all P-40Es on the register
- Registration
- N4420K · registry record · serial AK75315134
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon touchdown, the World War II era tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced an uncontrollable swerve as the right main landing gear began to collapse. As the right main gear exited the edge of the runway, the airplane rocked forward onto its nose and the propeller and left wing tip impacted the ground. The airplane rocked back and came to rest partially off the runway in an upright and right wing low position. An examination of the landing gear retraction system revealed that the landing gear handle detent was contaminated with paint. Subsequently, the landing gear handle did not stay in the detent which resulted in the right landing gear downlock pin to partially retract followed by the partial retraction of the right main landing gear.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,850 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 18,850 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 21, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 8,700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison V-1710-39 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Minnesota Airways LLC
The flight
- Departed from: GDB Granite Falls MN at 2:12 pm
- Destination: LNK Lincoln NE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from LNK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4420K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10IA030.