Israel Aircraft Industries GULFSTREAM 200 incident near Newburgh, New York, May 27, 2011
On May 27, 2011 at about 1:28 pm local time, a Israel Aircraft Industries GULFSTREAM 200, registered N749QS, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing near Newburgh, New York (Stewart International Airport). It was flown under fractional-ownership rules (Part 91 subpart K). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew did not ensure that the landing gear selector handle was in the full down (extend) position. Contributing to the incident was inadequate checklist information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2011 · about 1:28 pm local time
- Place
- Newburgh, New York · Stewart International Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Israel Aircraft Industries GULFSTREAM 200 · all GULFSTREAM 200s on the register
- Registration
- N749QS · registry record · serial 165
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · fractional-ownership rules (Part 91 subpart K)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the incident flight, the flight crew performed an uneventful repositioning flight and did not experience any problems with the airplane's landing gear system. During the incident flight, the flight crew was performing a visual approach to the destination airport. The second-in-command (SIC) initiated a landing gear extension, and the landing gear extended but did not lock. The flight crew entered a holding pattern to perform the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure checklist. Before the SIC reached the steps to cycle the landing gear, the flight crew was distracted by a hydraulic overheat condition and diverted to the Hydraulic System Overheat checklist to address that condition. When the SIC returned to the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure checklist, he could not cycle the landing gear per the checklist instructions, because the hydraulic pressure was low. He then began the Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklist. The emergency extension resulted in all three landing gear remaining extended, but only the nosegear locked, and no further pertinent information remained in the checklist. The flight crew then performed an emergency landing at an airport with a longer runway. During the landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest on the runway. During postaccident examination of the airplane, the landing gear selector handle was found 1/8- to 1/4-inch from the full down position. Subsequent ground testing revealed that when the landing gear selector handle was positioned full up, followed by full down, the landing gear cycled successfully, indicating that, if the flight crew had placed the handle in the full down position, the landing gear would likely have operated normally. When the landing gear selector handle was positioned where it was found, the landing gear extended, but did not lock. A hydraulic bypass also occurred, with a resulting increase in hydraulic fluid temperature and decrease in hydraulic fluid pressure. The hydraulic bypass was most likely the reason that the landing gear did not lock when the emergency gear extension procedure (blow down) was followed during the incident flight. Although, the rigging of the landing gear selector valve arm was found to be 2 degrees beyond specifications, the fact that the landing gear was successfully cycled numerous times with this discrepancy indicates that it was not a contributing factor to this incident. After the incident, the airplane manufacturer revised several checklists by replacing the terms "normal" and "low" with actual numerical values. Additionally, the Landing Gear Down Lock Indication Failure and Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklists were revised to include more guidance on ensuring that the landing gear handle was positioned full down. Lastly, the Emergency Landing Gear Extension checklist was expanded to include a situation where the blow-down procedure failed to extend and lock all three landing gear.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Design › Policy/procedure development › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,013 hours in all; 3,244 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 17, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,800 hours in all; 604 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 4, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,010 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 14, 2011; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 35,600 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW306A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW306A (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Netjets Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: GSP Greer SC at 11:30 am
- Destination: HPN White Plains NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 11,817 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from SWF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
