Cessna P210 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, November 6, 2015
On November 6, 2015 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna P210, registered N731LT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Atlanta, Georgia (Dekalb-Peachtree airport). It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed extension of the landing gear and his failure to ensure that the main landing gear (MLG) were down and locked before touchdown, which resulted in the collapse of both MLG. Contributing to the landing gear collapse was the mis-set landing gear warning horn, which prevented timely notification that the landing gear were not down and locked.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 6, 2015 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Dekalb-Peachtree · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210 N, built 1979 · all P210s on the register
- Registration
- N731LT · registry record · serial P21000436
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he was conducting an instrument flight rules cross-country flight and set up for an RNAV approach; however, he was subsequently cleared for an instrument landing system approach. He added that he continued to the airport, recalled lowering the landing gear, but because he was setting up for a different approach, he did not verify that the landing gear were down and locked. He added that the landing was normal but that, during the landing roll, he heard a "snap" and felt the airplane drop and veer left. The airplane departed the left side of the runway and came to rest with the nose landing gear (NLG) down and locked but with both main landing gear (MLG) collapsed. Postaccident examination revealed no damage to either MLG downlock hook assembly. Testing of the landing gear system revealed that it functioned normally during multiple gear cycles, including an emergency extension. A check of the landing gear warning horn revealed that it was mis-set about 0.3 inch higher than specified, which reduced timely warning that the gear were not down and locked. Given there was no damage to either MLG downlock hook assembly, it is likely that neither MLG were down and locked at touchdown because the pilot extended the landing gear late during the approach and did not verify that they were down and locked, which only allowed sufficient time for the NLG, which extends and locks first, to fully extend and lock before touchdown. If the landing gear warning horn had been properly set, it is likely the pilot would have been warned in time to either go around or to allow for complete gear extension before landing.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear position and warning › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,461 hours in all; 1,206 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,461 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 29, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,808.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 26, 2015; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,001 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison 250-B17F/2 (turboprop); 2,258 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S37 Smoketown PA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21L, 6,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 10:22 pm from PDK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N731LT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA16LA042.