Cessna 182T accident near Houston, Texas, September 6, 2005
On September 6, 2005 at about 2:18 am local time, a Cessna 182T, registered N2426S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houston, Texas (Ellington Field). 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 gear-up landing as result of the separation of the hydraulic line in the landing gear extension system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2005 · about 2:18 am local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · Ellington Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182T · all 182Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2426S · no longer on the register · serial R18201339
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 1,000-hour pilot was conducting a local personal flight. Shortly after takeoff, while retracting the landing gear, the pilot did not receive a gear-up indicator light. After numerous attempts to extend the landing gear, the pilot elected to fly to a local airport equipped with emergency fire and rescue personnel and equipment. An in-flight visual inspection by another airplane reveled the landing gear was not in a down and locked position. The pilot performed a gear-up landing on the runway and the airplane came to rest with the left wing and horizontal stabilizer resting on the ground. Examination of the nose landing gear revealed that the hydraulic line, part number S2178-4-0102, had separated from the fitting to the nose landing gear actuator. Inspectors were unable to locate records on the last hydraulic line replacement.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 80 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: military
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,417 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGLS Galveston TX
- Destination: KEFD Houston TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from KEFD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.