Cessna 210N accident near Somerville, New Jersey, August 2, 2021
On August 2, 2021 at about 12:45 pm local time, a 1984 Cessna 210N, registered N52MM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Somerville, New Jersey (Somerset 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
The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in a gear up landing and substantial damage to the fuselage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2021 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Somerville, New Jersey · Somerset · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210N, built 1984 · all 210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N52MM · registry record · serial 21064870
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed on a short flight to a local airport. He said he made a straight in approach and conducted a before landing checklist. Upon landing, the pilot realized the landing gear was still retracted as the airplane settled onto the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the lower fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s landing gear and gear warning horn by a mechanic found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Though the pilot said he used the before-landing checklist, he failed to extend the landing gear and subsequently landed with the gear retracted.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,040.1 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 27, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,979 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2021
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-550-LGB (piston); 4,979 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOJ Linden NJ at 12:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08/2, 1,923 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KSMQ
Weather report (METAR): KSMQ 021253Z AUTO 31005KT 8SM CLR 20/16 A2994
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 2022. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Summary of Email - Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.