Cessna P210N accident near Corvallis, Oregon, April 18, 2013
On April 18, 2013 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna P210N, registered N711BG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Corvallis, Oregon (Corvallis 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent selection and activation of the landing gear handle rather than the flap handle during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to alter the configuration of the airplane before exiting the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2013 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Corvallis, Oregon · Corvallis Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna P210N · all P210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N711BG · registry record · serial P21000806
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At the conclusion of a cross-country flight and as the airplane was approaching the non-towered airport, the pilot announced his position and his intention to conduct a straight-in approach to runway 35. The landing was normal, and during the landing roll, when the airplane had slowed to about 50 knots, the pilot decided to retract the flaps. However, he inadvertently grasped and raised the landing gear handle instead, and the nose gear retracted. The main gear remained extended, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose keel structure, as well as damage to the cowl, nose gear doors, and propeller. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further reported, “When landing, pilot should make no changes to flaps or other systems until the airplane has fully decelerated.”
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear not configured during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unneccessary action › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,886 hours in all; 381 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,774 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,436 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRY Monterey CA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: CVO Corvallis OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,900 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 am from CVO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N711BG 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.