Cessna 210L accident near Santa Barbara, California, November 16, 2007
On November 16, 2007 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N987M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Barbara, California (Santa Barbara Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The left main landing gear's down limit switch plunger being bent and stuck in the closed position, which resulted in the collapse of the landing gear during the landing roll. The reason for the down limit switch plunger being bent could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 2007 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Barbara, California · Santa Barbara Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N987M · registry record · serial 21061093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to landing the pilot confirmed that the landing gear was down and locked. During the landing roll the airplane began to veer left, followed by the left main landing gear collapsing. The airplane came to rest upright on the left side of the runway with its left elevator resting on the runway's surface. A post-accident examination revealed that the left main landing gear down limit switch plunger was bent and stuck in the closed position, falsely indicating that the left main landing gear was locked [down]. The examination further revealed that the two hydraulic hoses to the downlock actuator were making contact with the airplane's skin, binding the downlock from fully opening to allow the down limit switch to clear the striker plate during the down cycle. The two hoses were subsequently repositioned to eliminate the binding, which resulted in the landing gear operating normally. It was not determined how the switch had become bent. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to the flight.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,257 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,320 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2007; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-H4B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNO Chino CA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: SBA Santa Barbara CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 07, 6,055 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from SBA
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA08LA028.