Cessna T210M accident near Mesa, Arizona, January 14, 2005
On January 14, 2005 at about 3:20 pm local time, a Cessna T210M, registered N761YH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mesa, Arizona (Falcon Field 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 use the emergency gear extension procedure to manually extend the landing gear to the down and locked position.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2005 · about 3:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mesa, Arizona · Falcon Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N761YH · registry record · serial 21062621
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The landing gear collapsed during touchdown. The flight was approximately 40 miles southeast of Falcon Field when the pilot noticed an electrical low voltage warning. The pilot contacted the Falcon Field air traffic control specialist and declared his intentions to return to the airport and land. He was unable to establish additional radio communications. During approach to the airport, the pilot moved the landing gear selector switch to the down position, then visually confirmed that the landing gear appeared to be in the down position. He received permission to land via a light gun signal, and upon touchdown on runway 4R, the right main landing gear collapsed. After the accident, the pilot opined that he should have used the emergency landing gear extension procedure to ensure that the gear was in the down and locked position.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 755 hours in all; 755 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 755 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,532 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 2004
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFFZ Mesa AZ at 2:30 pm
- Destination: KP13 Globe AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4R, 5,102 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 5:49 pm from FFZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.