Cessna P210N accident near Saint Louis, Missouri, May 1, 2013
On May 1, 2013 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N731NR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Saint Louis, Missouri (Spirit Of St. Louis 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 pilot's failure to extend the landing gear or check that it was in the down position before landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2013 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Saint Louis, Missouri · Spirit Of St. Louis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N731NR · registry record · serial P21000509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on left base of the traffic pattern, an air traffic controller instructed the pilot to make a "short approach" to avoid traffic. The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear handle but that he was unsure if the landing gear down indicator light had illuminated, and he did not remember visually verifying that the gear was down during the approach. The pilot stated that, during the approach, he was distracted by an odd smell in the cockpit, which he thought may have been the air conditioner malfunctioning. The airplane touched down on the runway surface with the landing gear retracted. Examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot was distracted by the odor in the cockpit and did not lower the landing gear or check that it was in the down position before landing.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,860 hours in all; 2,800 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 5,860 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 23, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,789 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 14, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SME Saint Louis MO at 12:00 pm
- Destination: SUS Saint Louis MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08R, 7,484 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 12:54 pm from SUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 4, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Correspondence with Federal Aviation Administration Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.