Cessna 337 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, May 29, 2018
On May 29, 2018 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna 337, registered N86507, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Atlanta, Georgia (Dekalb-Peachtree airport). 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
An area of pitting and corrosion on the surface of the aluminum hydraulic line connecting the emergency handle/pump to the electric hydraulic pump, which resulted in a loss of hydraulic pressure and the pilot’s inability to extend the landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2018 · about 5:45 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 337 E, built 1969 · all 337s on the register
- Registration
- N86507 · no longer on the register · serial 33701212
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country, personal flight. He stated that, while on approach to the destination airport, he was unable to extend the landing gear. He declared an emergency and attempted to pump the landing gear down via the emergency gear-extension handle to no avail. He then observed a large puddle of red hydraulic fluid on the floorboards near the hydraulic pump. The pilot realized that he would not be able to extend the gear and conducted a gear-up landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the hydraulic reservoir was nearly empty. When the emergency handle was activated, a stream of hydraulic fluid sprayed from the surface of the aluminum hydraulic line connecting the emergency handle/pump to the electric hydraulic pump that was mounted under and behind the pilot's instrument panel. Magnified visual examination of the leaking hydraulic line revealed an area of corrosion and pitting on the aluminum surface, which likely resulted in a loss of hydraulic pressure and the pilot's inability to extend the 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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Hydraulic fluid › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,087 hours in all; 387 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 29, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,925.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 4,440 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21R, 3,746 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 5:59 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 1, 2019. 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 | Written Statement - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum of Record - Hydraulics Exam | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.