Cessna R182 accident near Petersburg, Virginia, July 10, 2019
On July 10, 2019 at about 12:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna R182, registered N757PU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Petersburg, Virginia (Dinwiddie County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to verify that the main landing gear were extended, which resulted in landing with partially extended landing gear. Contributing to the accident was a tripped landing gear motor circuit breaker.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 2019 · about 12:00 pm local time
- Place
- Petersburg, Virginia · Dinwiddie County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R182 No Series, built 1979 · all R182s on the register
- Registration
- N757PU · registry record · serial R18201253
- 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-equipped airplane reported that, after takeoff, there was an issue with the alternator. He checked the circuit breakers, which were "in," and decided to land at a nearby airport to have the alternator examined. During the approach, he placed the landing gear handle in the gear extended position. He said it felt "normal" but that he did not remember if he heard the landing gear motor. He did not look outside the high-wing airplane to check the landing gear position, and he did not remember seeing the green landing gear position lights illuminate. He added that the landing gear warning horn did not sound. He reported that, during landing, the nose landing gear was down and locked, but the main landing gear were trailing behind the airplane, and the airplane slid to the left side of the runway. The pilot reported that, if he knew the gear had not extended, he would have manually pumped the landing gear down. The mechanic reported that, when he arrived at the airplane postaccident, the landing gear circuit breaker was popped. He jacked up the airplane and repositioned the landing gear and then turned on the power, pushed in the landing gear circuit breaker, and raised the landing gear. He did not recall hearing the warning horn but mentioned that the throttle "may have been pushed in." He successfully cycled the landing gear multiple times. The mechanic added that a previous pilot of the accident airplane reported that the landing gear circuit breaker would often pop and that he would lower the landing gear with the manual pump. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
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 Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not specified
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 950 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 850 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 19, 2019
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3C5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JGG Williamsburg VA at 11:40 am
- Destination: PTB Petersburg VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KPTB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| 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.
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.