Cessna T210M accident near Hanford, California, November 22, 2008
On November 22, 2008 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna T210M, registered N732XS, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Hanford, California (Hanford Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to use the before-landing checklist and 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
- November 22, 2008 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Hanford, California · Hanford Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210M · all T210Ms on the register
- Registration
- N732XS · no longer on the register · serial 21061862
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while on a right downwind to runway 32 he accomplished the before-landing checklist from memory; however, "I forgot to say 'three green.'" The pilot said that he touched down about one-third of the way down the runway with the landing gear retracted and came to rest in an upright position on the runway at about the mid-field point. When asked if he had heard the gear warning horn prior to touching down, the pilot stated that he did not, as he had his headset on. An airframe and power plant mechanic reported that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that no anomalies existed with the airplane prior to or during 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
What happened, in order
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR pattern downwind)
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear selector › Not used/operated
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LMT Klamath Fall OR at 10:00 pm
- Destination: HJO Hanford CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 32, 5,175 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.