NYC96LA020

Factual narrative

On October 27, 1995, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414A, N2UD, undershot the runway and collapsed the landing gear at the Great Barrington Airport, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The airplane was substantially damaged. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight originated in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. While performing a landing on runway 11, which was 2,600 feet long and 50 feet wide, the pilot touched down 1 foot short and approximately 8 inches below the runway surface, resulting in the main landing gear collapsing. The airplane then skidded off the right side of the runway onto the grass, and struck a fence. According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2: ...just prior to a normal touchdown the airplane dropped...and [the] right wheel touched down...before the runway pavement...ripped off the right gear...plane rolled out on the left gear, right wing and tail...onto the grass on the right of the runway. The pilot's total flight time was 2,036.7 hours, with 255.3 hours in this make and model airplane. The reported winds were 120 degrees, at 20 knots, gusts to 30 knots. As the pilot was landing on runway 11, which was 2,600 feet long and 50 feet wide, the airplane touched down short of the runway lip, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane then skidded off the right side of the runway onto the grass, and struck a fence. According to the pilot, 'just prior to normal touchdown, the airplane dropped from a downdraft or from wind shear.' The wind was reported to be from 120 degrees at 20, gusting 30 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12