Cessna 210J accident near West Chicago, Illinois, October 23, 2011
On October 23, 2011 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Cessna 210J, registered N3309S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near West Chicago, Illinois (Dupage 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 pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before touchdown due to his failure to use a checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 2011 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- West Chicago, Illinois · Dupage Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210J · all 210Js on the register
- Registration
- N3309S · registry record · serial 21059109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that before landing he mistakenly positioned the four-position landing gear selector lever to the down-neutral position instead of the full-down position. He further noted that he did not notice the lack of sound and feel of the landing gear extending and the lack of an illuminated green landing gear position light; he also did not visually confirm that the main landing gear had extended. The airplane landed with the gear up, damaging several lower fuselage structural bulkheads and stringers. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had used a checklist to ensure that the landing gear had been properly extended. He further noted that the airplane's landing gear unsafe warning horn had been inoperative for some time. A postaccident examination of the landing gear extension/retraction system did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented the landing gear from extending normally.
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 not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear position and warning › Inoperative
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 222 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 174 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 26, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,272 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: International Alert Academy
The flight
- Departed from: 06C Schaumburg IL at 9:55 pm
- Destination: KDPA West Chicago IL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20R, 7,571 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from KDPA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.