Gilbert R. Ringer GP4 accident near Stratford, Connecticut, April 27, 2023
On April 27, 2023 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 2016 Gilbert R. Ringer GP4, registered CGPEX, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Stratford, Connecticut (Igor I Sikorsky Meml 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the left main landing gear down locking mechanism, which resulted in a collapse of that landing gear and a subsequent runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 27, 2023 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Stratford, Connecticut · Igor I Sikorsky Meml · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Gilbert R. Ringer GP4, built 2016
- Registration
- CGPEX · no longer on the register · serial GP4-438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner was landing the experimental, amateur-built airplane at the conclusion of a night cross-country flight. The pilot described that he flared the airplane slightly high and that it, “skipped and then settled.” The landing roll seemed normal until the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane departed the runway. The pilot further characterized that the touchdown wasn’t particularly hard, compared to landings he had previously made in other airplanes. The airplane’s horizontal stabilizer and elevator were substantially damaged during the runway excursion. Following the accident, the pilot had the airplane repaired by its original builder, which included replacing a section of threaded rod on the left main landing gear that had broken, which was part of the landing gear down-locking mechanism. Based on this information, it is likely that the failure of the threaded rod resulted in the landing gear collapse and subsequent runway excursion.
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)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,936 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 1,860 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 16, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 57 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 24, 2023; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1B (piston); 1,051 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BGR Bangor ME at 11:36 am
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 4,677 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 900 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 am from BDR
Weather report (METAR): KBDR 261452Z 09009KT 10SM BKN009 09/06 A3026 RMK AO2 SLP248 T00940061 50001
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 July 27, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Mechanic Statement | PDF, 4 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.