Cessna 172RG accident near Anoka, Minnesota, July 17, 2015
On July 17, 2015 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 172RG, registered N6511V, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Anoka, Minnesota (Anoka County-Blaine Arpt(Janes 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
Failure of the left landing gear actuator for reasons that could not be determined because the actuator was not made available for examination.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2015 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Anoka, Minnesota · Anoka County-Blaine Arpt(Janes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG, built 1980 · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N6511V · registry record · serial 172RG0741
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and commercial-rated pilot receiving instruction departed the airport. When the commercial pilot retracted the landing gear, the pilots both heard a loud "clang" from the vicinity of the left main landing gear. The pilots lowered the landing gear; the right main gear extended but the left main gear did not extend. The pilots recycled the landing gear and then attempted the emergency gear extension procedure, which were both unsuccessful in lowering the left main gear. The pilots flew to the airport and the tower controller reported that the gear was partially extended. The instructor then attempted several maneuvers to get the gear to go down and lock, but these had no effect. When the pilots determined that they would not be able to lower the left main landing gear, the flight instructor performed an intentional gear-up landing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a fractured left main landing gear actuator. Numerous attempts to obtain the broken actuator from the operator were unsuccessful, and a detailed examination of the actuator was not possible.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,878 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 49 in the last 30 days; 1,696 as pilot in command; 1,248 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 12, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 301 hours in all; 27 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 262 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,887 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2014; 122 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-F1A6 (piston); 8,009 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANE Minneapolis MN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: ANE Minneapolis MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,855 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.73 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from KANE, 1 miles away
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.
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.