Cessna 210 accident near Watsonville, California, June 12, 2005
On June 12, 2005 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N9457T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watsonville, California (Watsonville Municipal Airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to extend the landing gear prior to landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 2005 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Watsonville, California · Watsonville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N9457T · registry record · serial 57257
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed gear up. The pilot reported that he put the gear handle in the down position as he was crossing over the field to enter the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 20. At this time he noticed that the green landing gear annunciator light had illuminated. Due to the high level of traffic in the pattern, the pilot did not look into the mirrors to visually check if the landing gear had deployed successfully like he usually does. During the landing flare, the airplane's tail impacted the runway causing the airplane to bounce. The tail came down and impacted the runway again. Shortly thereafter, the entire airplane spun off the runway to the left onto the grass separating the taxiway and the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane after the accident occurred. He stated that the main landing gear doors were closed, and the main gear was in the fully retracted position. The nose wheel had partially extended. The FAA inspector interviewed several witnesses who heard the airplane's engine increase in power just prior to the landing. According to the Cessna 210 Owners Manual, the landing gear and doors operate in a specific sequence. Once the pilot places the gear position handle out of the neutral position, the engine driven hydraulic pump begins to create hydraulic pressure and transfers it to the hydraulic actuators, which operate the landing gear doors and landing gear. When the gear position handle is placed in the down position, the hydraulic pump supplies pressure to the door's actuators first, allowing the doors to open. Then, the hydraulic pressure will switch to the landing gear actuators, and the gear will extend. Once the landing gear has completed the extension, the hydraulic pressure will switch back to the door's actuators, and the doors will close. When the doors have completely closed, the gear position handle will return to the neutral position, completing the process.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,790 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470 E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SQL San Carlos CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: WVI Watsonville CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 4,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KWVI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.