Cessna 210 accident near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, April 19, 2012
On April 19, 2012 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N96050, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Gatlinburg, Tennessee (Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the nose landing gear down pressure hose, which resulted in the main landing gear being unable to lock and collapse of the main landing gear during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2012 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gatlinburg, Tennessee · Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N96050 · no longer on the register · serial 210-61156
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern for landing and completed the before-landing checklist. He lowered the landing gear, and he noticed that the hydraulic unit stayed on and that the landing gear green light indication in the cockpit did not illuminate. He looked outside and the nosewheel was extended, but both main landing gear were only partially extended. He recycled the landing gear with negative results. He also added fluid to the hydraulic fill port in the cockpit, attempted to recycle the landing gear, and conducted some negative "g’s," but the gear did not fully extend. The pilot subsequently performed a straight-in approach with the nosewheel down and the main landing gear partially extended. During touchdown, the airplane veered to the left off the side of the runway and came to rest upright in a grassy area. Examination of the airplane revealed a hole in the landing gear down-pressure hose, which prevented the landing gear from fully extending. Review of service information from the airplane manufacturer revealed that the hoses should be replaced every 5 years. The investigation could not determine when the last time the hose was replaced. The airplane's current mechanic had worked on the airplane for 3 years and had not replaced the hose during that time. He added that the hoses did not look damaged or degraded during the inspections he performed. There was no entry in the logbook to indicate the hydraulic hoses had been replaced within the last 5 years or 1,000 hours.
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 approach defining event
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Hoses and tubes › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,065 hours in all; 2,009 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,065 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 26, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,286 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2011; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO520-R95 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KTX Kennett MO at 8:26 pm
- Destination: GKT Sevierville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10, 5,506 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 1:07 am from GKT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.