Cessna 650 accident near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, January 24, 1997
On January 24, 1997 at about 8:21 pm local time, a Cessna 650, registered N777LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 collapse of the left main landing gear as a result of the malfunction of the downlock actuator for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 1997 · about 8:21 pm local time
- Place
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 650 · all 650s on the register
- Registration
- N777LF · registry record · serial 650-0034
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Cessna Citation III had completed a passenger pickup and was on the return leg to the departure airport. The airplane was established on the ILS approach to runway 04, and the pilot held about a 20 degree right wind drift correction to maintain the airplane on the localizer course. The landing checks were completed and three green landing gear indicator lights were observed. The airplane touched down in the first 1,000 feet of the runway, bounced, and touched down about 300 to 400 feet further down the runway. About 500 feet after the second touchdown, the left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane was stopped on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failures. Examination of the main landing gear actuator revealed the end of the piston was severed at the rod end attachment point and bent at an angle of approximately 20 degrees. The airplane's maximum demonstrated landing crosswind component was 25 knots. Winds reported at the airport were from 120 degrees at 25 knots. The pilot's total accumulated flight experience was 7,120 hours, with 52 hours in make and model, of which 3 hours were in the preceding 30 days.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,120 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 6,730 as pilot in command; 2,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,459 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, October 19, 1996; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 21,000 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731-3B (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 7:50 pm
- Destination: AVP
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 7,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 25 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:23 pm from AVP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N777LF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.