NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CEN10CA341
Registry · N9849C
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA R182
Year of manufacture
1978 · 32 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19780712
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ADBD96
Registrant of record
377 MORALE WELFARE RECREATIONAL SERVICES AERO CLUB
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot's failure to lower the landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction with an erroneous airspeed indicator.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot's accident report, during the initial climb from Albuquerque Sunport (ABQ), New Mexico, he noticed the airspeed indicator was erratic and not indicating a normal climb speed. After leveling off, the indicated airspeed was 70 to 80 knots. He compared this with the GPS (Global Positioning System) ground speed and noticed a "significant difference." Later, while circling a house, the airspeed "went to zero knots." The pilot returned for landing at ABQ. He said he mentally went through the GUMPs (gas, undercarriage, mixture prop) checklist but was distracted by the airspeed indicator and radio traffic. As he flared for landing and reduced power, he heard a horn sounding and mistook it for the marker beacon alert. The airplane landed wheels up. A post-accident examination revealed the airplane's fuselage skin and U-shaped former (where the lift struts attach) were ground down, necessitating replacement. An examination of the pitot tube showed it was plugged with insects. During the initial climb, the pilot noticed the airspeed indicator was erratic and not indicating a normal climb speed. After leveling off, the indicated airspeed was 70 to 80 knots. He compared this with the GPS (Global Positioning System) ground speed and noticed a "significant difference." Later, while circling a house, the airspeed "went to zero knots." The pilot returned for landing and mentally went through the GUMPs (gas, undercarriage, mixture, prop) checklist, but was distracted by the airspeed indicator and radio traffic. As he flared for landing and reduced power, he heard a horn sounding and mistook it for the marker beacon alert. The airplane landed wheels up. An examination of the pitot tube showed it was plugged with insects. No other anomalies were found. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot - C
- F Personnel issues-Task performance-Workload management-(general)-Pilot - F
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2010_CEN10CA341.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.