Cessna 414 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, April 7, 2017
On April 7, 2017 at about 4:50 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 414, registered N56H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Atlanta, Georgia (Fulton County Airport-Brown Fi). 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
The pilot's diverted attention during the landing approach, which resulted in his failure to configure the landing gear and a subsequent a gear-up landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2017 · about 4:50 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Fulton County Airport-Brown Fi · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414 UNDESIGNAT, built 1977 · all 414s on the register
- Registration
- N56H · registry record · serial 414-0941
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the pilot was approaching the airport for landing in gusting wind conditions, the landing runway was changed, and an airplane was cleared to takeoff while the pilot was on final approach. The pilot reported that he was distracted by the wind conditions, reconfiguring the approach for a different runway, and the airplane taking off ahead of him, and did not recall performing his normal before-landing procedures; though he "thought" that he extended the landing gear. The airplane landed with the gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The accident is consistent with the pilot's failure to configure the landing gear 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 not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear selector › Not used/operated other cases naming the landing gear
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,516 hours in all; 582 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 5,150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 2017; 7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,349 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aeromack LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SSI Brunswick GA at 3:14 pm
- Destination: FTY Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 4,158 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 17 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from FTY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 8 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Left front view of airplane showing propeller damage.
Photo 2 – Right front quarter view of airplane showing propeller damage.
Photo 3 – Aft view of airplane looking forward.
Photo 4 – Propeller slash gouges in runway.
Photo 5 – Left main landing gear and door damage.
Photo 6 – Nose landing gear broken retract mechanism.
Photo 7 – Right main landing gear retract mechanism break.
Photo 8 – Right landing gear door damage.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on May 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation_pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Eyewitness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation_faa | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation_mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Airframe Maintenance Logbook_excerpt | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Flight Manual Excerpt_before Landing Checklist | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Record of Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo Array-accident Site and Airplane Damage | PDF, 8 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N56H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 414 Chancellor 606 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER 4,113 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER 4,113 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fulton County Exec/Charlie Brown Field · nearest airport
- St. Simons Island Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,797 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA17LA151.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.