Cessna P210N accident near Eau Clare, Wisconsin, December 31, 1998
On December 31, 1998, a Cessna P210N, registered N731YY, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eau Clare, Wisconsin (Chippewa Valley Regional airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the delayed gear extension by the pilot. Contributing factors were the checklist not used by the pilot, the inoperative gear warning, and the maintenance replacement of the throttle control/gear warning interconnect cable not performed by company/operator management as recommended by the manufacturer's service letter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1998
- Place
- Eau Clare, Wisconsin · Chippewa Valley Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N731YY · no longer on the register · serial 00564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane came to rest on the runway with the nose landing gear extended, and the main landing gear retracted. During an interview, the pilot reported that he did not use a written checklist to perform the before landing checks. An aircraft mechanic at the airport reported that he found the nose wheel landing gear was in the down position with the main landing gear in their gear wells, with the landing gear handle in the down position. The airplane was placed on jacks, and when the master switch was placed into the 'ON' position, the red gear in transit light illuminated, the landing gear extended and the green gear down light illuminated. The gear was then cycled approximately six times and operated normally. The mechanic attributed the failure of the gear warning horn to a stiff cable which was to be replaced in accordance with a 1981 service letter, but was never complied with.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,976 hours in all; 1,060 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 2,826 as pilot in command; 365 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,551 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 21, 1998; 355 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AZO Kalamazoo MI at 10:15 pm
- Destination: EAU
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,301 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft; clear
- Temperature: -4°F (-20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from EAU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.