Grumman G-44 accident near Cleveland, Ohio, May 12, 1998
On May 12, 1998 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Grumman G-44, registered N1AS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Hopkins airport). It was a business 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
Failure of the pilot to extend the landing gear. A related factor was the diverted attention.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1998 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Cleveland, Ohio · Cleveland Hopkins · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Grumman G-44 · all G-44s on the register
- Registration
- N1AS · registry record · serial 1230
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he forgot to extend the landing gear prior to landing. He was cleared for straight in landing on runway 10. He was distracted when he was advised that traffic would be landing on an intersecting runway, and he had to hold short of runway 10. He said he looked visually, sighted the landing traffic, and failed to check gear down. He failed to re-start the checklist after having been distracted in the middle of the list. He said there was no mechanical problems with the airplane, and the accident could have been prevented if he had double checked the gear position, and installed a now available gear warning system designed for amphibious aircraft.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 30,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 27,600 as pilot in command; 800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G2D6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWK Palwaukie IL at 3:12 pm
- Destination: CLE OH
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 10, 6,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,500 ft; scat
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:44 pm from CLE
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.