Cessna 421C accident near Indianapolis, Indiana, February 18, 2006
On February 18, 2006 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 421C, registered N98507, was substantially damaged in an accident near Indianapolis, Indiana (Indianapolis International 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 main landing gear malfunctioned and failed to extend during the landing approach for an undetermined reason, which resulted in a main gear up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 18, 2006 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Indianapolis, Indiana · Indianapolis International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 421C · all 421Cs on the register
- Registration
- N98507 · no longer on the register · serial 0075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The twin-engine airplane sustained substantial damage during landing when the main landing gear would not extend. During the approach to landing, only the nose landing gear extended and the main landing gear remained in the wing wheel wells. The pilot reported that when he attempted to lower the landing gear prior to landing, the main landing gear indicator lights remained unlit. He cycled the landing gear handle three times without effect. He yawed and porpoised the airplane to get the gear down, but with no result. He executed the emergency gear extension procedures and actuated the nitrogen bottle without success. He did a fly-by of the control tower, and the controllers confirmed that the main gear were still in the wheel wells. He tried to get the gear down by pulling positive G's on the airplane, but it did not work. The pilot decided to land with the nose gear down and the main gear up. On short final at 100 feet above ground level, he put the mixtures to idle cutoff. At 50 feet he raised the flaps. The airplane skidded on the runway for 1,500 to 2,000 feet, and then the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane was lifted up during recovery and the main landing gear fell into the down and locked position. The inspection of the main landing gear did not reveal any anomalies.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,700 hours in all; 1,570 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command; 508 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,680 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 7,450 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental GTSIO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 Salt Lake City UT at 6:10 pm
- Destination: LUK Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 7,605 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:50 pm from IND, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.