Cessna 401 accident near Mc Allen, Texas, January 4, 2003
On January 4, 2003, a Cessna 401, registered N968JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mc Allen, Texas (Mc Allen Miller Intl 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 manually extend the landing gear to the full down and locked position. A contributing faction was a loss of electrical power, which resulted in the failure of the landing gear to extend.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 4, 2003
- Place
- Mc Allen, Texas · Mc Allen Miller Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401 · all 401s on the register
- Registration
- N968JW · no longer on the register · serial 401-0296
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en-route at night, the airplane experienced a partial loss of electrical power. The pilot attempted to electrically extend the landing gear; however, the landing gear did not extend. While on a right downwind for runway, he manually extended the landing gear, but did not receive three green annunciator lights confirming the landing gear was extended and locked. Without radio communications, the pilot was cleared to land via the air traffic control "steady green" light gun signal. During the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed, the airplane exited the runway and struck a runway sign. The airplane spun 180-degrees and came to rest upright. The reason for the loss of electrical power was not determined.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,462 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 1,731 as pilot in command; 1,185 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 21, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,519.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 2002; 10.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: International Air Services
The flight
- Departed from: PBC Puebla at 10:00 pm
- Destination: MFE Mc Allen TX
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 13, 7,120 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.