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CEN12CA215

2012-03-27 · Battle Creek, Michigan, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KBTL

Current FAA registration · N1212C

Make / Model
CESSNA 441
Year of manufacture
1985 · 27 years old at event
Engine
AIRESEARCH TPE331 SERIES (904 hp)
Seats / Engines
10 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date
19850304
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A05A0A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The maintenance technician did not remove the tow bar prior to the flight.

Factual narrative

After the pilot finished the preflight inspection in the hangar, the maintenance technician pulled the airplane out of the hangar and connected the auxiliary power cart to the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the pilot boarded the airplane and proceeded with the normal checklist. The pilot signaled to the maintenance technician to disconnect the power cart. The maintenance technician subsequently signaled that the pilot was clear to start the engines. After departure the pilot noted a problem with the landing gear and after establishing that the tow bar was, most likely, still attached to the nosewheel, he diverted to a nearby airport for a precautionary landing. During the landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the primary structure in the nose of the airplane was substantially damaged. After the pilot finished the preflight inspection in the hangar, the maintenance technician pulled the airplane out of the hangar and connected the auxiliary power cart to the airplane. Shortly thereafter, the pilot boarded the airplane and proceeded with the normal checklist. The pilot signaled to the maintenance technician to disconnect the power cart. The maintenance technician subsequently signaled that the pilot was clear to start the engines. After departure, the pilot noted a problem with the landing gear, and, after establishing that the tow bar was, most likely, still attached to the nosewheel, he diverted to a nearby airport for a precautionary landing. During the landing, the nose landing gear collapsed and the primary structure in the nose of the airplane was substantially damaged. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Maintenance personnel - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_CEN12CA215.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). All research papers