Cessna 172RG accident near Key West, Florida, December 25, 2003
On December 25, 2003 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172RG, registered N4721R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key West, Florida (Key West International 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
Pilot's improper emergency landing gear extension procedure which resulted in the right main landing gear not locking in the down position subsequent right main landing gear collapsing on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 2003 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Key West, Florida · Key West International · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172RG · all 172RGs on the register
- Registration
- N4721R · registry record · serial 172RG0017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On approach the pilot selected to extend the landing gear, but he did not get a green light to confirm all three landing gear were down and locked. He checked the electrical fuses and performed several cycles of gear extension with no change to the indication of the landing gear position. He pumped the emergency gear extension hand pump. He advised air traffic control and was instructed to perform several low fly-bys. Tower and fire rescue personnel visually verified that all three landing gear were down. As the airplane's main landing gear touched the runway in a soft field-landing configuration, the right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he pumped the emergency gear extension pump handle until he felt resistances. He could not remember how many strokes exactly he performed, somewhere from 2 to 3 strokes. The main landing gears were operationally checked once with the airplane's own battery power and twice with the emergency landing gear extension hydraulic hand pump for manual extension of landing gears. The main landing gears extended and locked into position within 12 to 15 pumps of the emergency landing gear extension hydraulic hand pump. No defects were observed in the operation of the extension and locking of the main landing gears by hand pump. An examination of the main landing left and right gear actuators and locking systems revealed no anomalies. Avion's chief flight instructor stated close to a month before the accident, on the accident airplane, he had to perform an emergency extension of the landing gear by the hand pump; more so, it took anywhere from 10 to 20 pumps to lower the gear and into the lock position. According to the chief pilot who checked out the pilot only verbal instructions on how to extend the landing gear by hand pump was given during the check ride in the airplane.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 620 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 210 in the last 90 days; 140 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: October 4, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,126 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 28, 2003; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 F1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Avion Jet Center, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KFPR Fort Pierce FL at 10:00 pm
- Destination: KEYW Key West FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 4,801 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from EYW
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.