Cessna TR182 accident near Wichita, Kansas, July 7, 2014
On July 7, 2014 at about 10:26 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna TR182, registered N4602S, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Wichita, Kansas (Wichita Mid-Continent Airport). It was an instructional 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
Maintenance personnel’s improper landing gear system repair, which resulted in a hydraulic leak and subsequent gear collapse during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2014 · about 10:26 pm local time
- Place
- Wichita, Kansas · Wichita Mid-Continent Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna TR182, built 1979 · all TR182s on the register
- Registration
- N4602S · registry record · serial R18201353
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during initial climb, the landing gear failed to retract into a locked position. He left the airport traffic area to troubleshoot the landing gear problem, but the gear would not retract or extend properly. He chose to return to the airport to land without the landing gear in the down-and-locked position. During the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in damage to the left wing tip and empennage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a hydraulic line that attached to the forward left side of the actuator was twisted and ruptured, that the hydraulic fluid had leaked from the hose, and that the hydraulic power pack reservoir was empty. Maintenance personnel had conducted maintenance on the landing gear to repair a hydraulic leak from the nose landing gear actuator 5 days before the accident; it is likely maintenance personnel improperly repaired the landing gear system during the maintenance.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb defining event
- Landing gear not configured during initial climb
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,578 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 3,505 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,210 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,072 as pilot in command; 1,640 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 21, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,157.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 24, 2013; 38 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: ICT Wichita KS at 9:59 pm
- Destination: ICT Wichita KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19L, 7,301 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 16 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.69 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from ICT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 N4602S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.