Cessna 510 accident near Havasu, Arizona, December 1, 2021
On December 1, 2021 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2013 Cessna 510, registered N81CB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Havasu, Arizona (Lake Havasu City 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 pilot's failure to extend the landing gear during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use a pre-landing checklist.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 2021 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Havasu, Arizona · Lake Havasu City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 510, built 2013 · all 510s on the register
- Registration
- N81CB · registry record · serial 510-0439
- 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, during an unstable approach, he did not perform a pre-landing checklist and did not configure the landing gear. Subsequently, the airplane touched down with the landing gear retracted and slid to a stop, in which a post-crash fire ensued over the right wing. The lower fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear not configured during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Not used/operated
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,977 hours in all; 484 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,888 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 19, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 835.1 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 26, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 8,730 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW615F-A (turbofan); 872 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW615F-A (turbofan); 872 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KTME Brookshire TX at 4:15 pm
- Destination: KHII Lake Havasu AZ
- Runway 32, 8,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 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.
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 WPR22LA058.