Cessna 210L accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 5, 1997
On October 5, 1997 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N93089, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque International 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. A related factor was his attention being diverted.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 1997 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico · Albuquerque International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N93089 · no longer on the register · serial 21060253
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was vectored onto a long final approach to runway 30. About 3 miles from the runway, he slowed the airplane to 140 knots (Vgo), then slowed further to the flap operating speed (Vfo). He was going through the final prelanding checklist when a 'bright' annunciator light on the GPS (global positioning system) display panel illuminated. The pilot said he was distracted by this light and was trying to turn it off. The pilot wrote, 'With this distraction, I failed to check for the gear down green light and landed with the gear up. The gear horn came on as I flared, but it was too late.'
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,940 hours in all; 5,500 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 7,940 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 30, 1996; 220 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q58 Santa Rosa NM
- Destination: ABQ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 5,130 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 am from ABQ
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.