Cessna T310 accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 24, 2019
On March 24, 2019 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna T310, registered N358MN, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Northeast Philadelphia airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s and flight instructor's failure to verify that the landing gear were extended, which resulted in a gear-up landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s inadvertent pulling of the landing gear motor circuit, which prevented the landing gear from extending.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2019 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Northeast Philadelphia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T310 R, built 1976 · all T310s on the register
- Registration
- N358MN · registry record · serial 310R0881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor in the retractable-landing gear, multiengine airplane reported that, while performing aerial survey training for a newly hired pilot, the airplane was slowed to the mission airspeed of 117 knots, which meant reduced power and the use of more than 15° of flaps. He added that he then pulled the landing gear warning circuit breaker to silence the landing gear warning horn to ensure clear communication but that he did not pull the landing gear motor circuit breaker. The pilot receiving instruction reported that he did not know that the instructor had pulled the landing gear warning circuit breaker. The instructor further reported that, while returning to the departure airport, the landing checklist was "accomplished" 15 to 20 miles from the airport. He saw that the pilot was "falling behind on power and descent management" and that the airplane was high and fast for the approach. The instructor advised the pilot to correct but then began to assist the pilot when it "was taking longer [than anticipated.]" The airplane decelerated into the white airspeed arc, and the instructor moved the landing gear selector switch into the down position and added full flaps. He added that, because the flaps were added shortly after the landing gear selector switch was put into the down position, he could not tell by the flight characteristics that the landing gear had not extended. Neither he nor the pilot noticed that there was no green down-and-locked position light indicator. The airplane landed with the landing gear retracted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both engines. The instructor added that, while configuring the airplane on the runway, he observed that the landing gear warning horn and landing gear motor circuit breakers were tripped. The director of maintenance reported that, during a postaccident examination, the airplane was lifted onto jacks and an emergency gear extension and three electrical landing gear retractions were conducted, and no defects were found. In a photograph provided by the flight instructor, the landing gear warning horn and landing gear motor circuit breakers are right next to each other. Despite the instructor's statement that he did not pull the landing gear motor switch, given the proximity of the breakers to each other, it is likely that the pilot inadvertently pulled the landing gear motor switch when he pulled the landing gear warning horn switch, which prevented the gear from extending. The airplane manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook contained a note in the section titled, "Landing Gear Warning Horn," which states, Do not pull landing gear warning circuit breaker to silence horn as this turns off the landing gear control relay, thus the landing gear cannot be 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
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › (general) › Unintentional use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,636 hours in all; 3,800 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 7,611 as pilot in command; 168 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 27, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 849 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 704 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 25, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,124.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 5,725 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520-EB (piston); 3,397 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520-EB (piston); 4,759 hours total
- Operator: Keystone Aerial Surveys Inc
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY at 6:30 pm
- Destination: PNE Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from KPNE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA19CA234.