Cessna P210N accident near Bozeman, Montana, June 13, 2015
On June 13, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1983 Cessna P210N, registered N86SB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bozeman, Montana (Bozeman Yellowstone Internatio 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 complete the required before landing checks, resulting in the execution of a gear up landing causing substantial damage to the lower fuselage of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · Bozeman Yellowstone Internatio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N N, built 1983 · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N86SB · registry record · serial P21000829
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the retractable landing gear airplane reported he became preoccupied while in the traffic pattern and did not configure his landing gear to the down and locked position. The pilot landed the airplane with the landing gear stowed, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to flight that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,594 hours in all; 1,022 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,594 hours in all; 1,022 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,185.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2015; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520AF (piston); 2,185 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBZN Bozeman MT at 8:00 pm
- Destination: KBZN Bozeman MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 8,994 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from KBZN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 10, 2015. 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 | Memorandum for Record METAR Kbzm (1500 Mdt) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photograph 1: Airplane Fuselage (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photograph 2: Airplane Fuselage Frame (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.