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CEN24LA375

2024-09-29 · Cortez, Colorado, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CEZ

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear before landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during a straight in landing he forgot to perform his before landing checklist because he had not flown the standard traffic pattern. The airplane contacted the runway surface with the landing gear in the retracted position and came to rest on the runway. The pilot reported that he saw smoke and exited the airplane before a post-crash fire ensued which destroyed the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Pilot
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Gear extension and retract sys-Not used/operated

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_CEN24LA375.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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