Amateur-built ALPHA JET accident near Sacramento, California, June 14, 2018
On June 14, 2018 at about 6:38 pm local time, a 1982 amateur-built ALPHA JET, registered N2165, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sacramento, California (Sacramento Mather airport). It was an instructional 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 failure to extend the landing gear before landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s and the flight instructor’s failure to adequately monitor the workload.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2018 · about 6:38 pm local time
- Place
- Sacramento, California · Sacramento Mather · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ALPHA JET No Series, built 1982
- Registration
- N2165 · no longer on the register · serial 0165
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-under-instruction planned a visual, simulated no-flap approach and landing during an instructional flight in a twin-engine advanced jet trainer. Audio data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the pilot requested a left closed traffic, simulated no-flap pattern and stated that he needed to go out about 4 miles upwind. By the time the air traffic tower controller responded, the pilot had already started the crosswind turn; therefore, the controller cleared him to the overhead pattern, left closed traffic. Subsequently, the controller initially instructed the pilot to make the base turn when able but then instructed him to turn immediately to be sequenced in front of slower traffic on a 5-mile final approach. The controller stated that he would give the pilot the 4 miles he requested on the next pattern. The pilot accepted the turn clearance and reported to the controller that he was turning. A review of radar data indicated that, during the final turn, the airplane overshot the final approach by over 1,800 ft to the northwest. Subsequently, the airplane landed on its belly and sustained substantial damage to the bottom of the fuselage. A postlanding fire ensued. The filed company report stated that flying a no-flap approach and landing required maintaining a higher airspeed during the final turn, and when established on final approach, the airspeed had to be quickly bled off. The higher approach speed, difficulty of maintaining airspeed, and the early turn to final increased the pilot's workload during the simulated no-flap pattern. While on final approach, the pilot extended the air brakes, which are typically extended just before lowering the landing gear but failed to extend the landing gear. The flight instructor failed to notice the omission, which resulted in a gear-up landing. The pilots reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 not configured during landing defining event
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Air traffic/operating proc › Traffic pattern procedure › Effect on personnel
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 9,138 hours in all; 136 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 5, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,900 hours in all; 154 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 14, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,912.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 30, 2017
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Snecma Larzac 04-C6 (turbofan); 2,643 hours total
- Engine 2: Snecma Larzac 04-C6 (turbofan); 2,658 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Blue City Holding LLC
The flight
- Departed from: NUQ Mountain View CA at 5:00 pm
- Destination: MHR Sacramento CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22L, 11,301 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from MHR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Traffic Pattern Pictures | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Form 8020-6-2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Transcript | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.