Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Spirit Of St. Louis Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saint Louis, Missouri 63005
Wednesday, May 1, 2013 7:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While on left base of the traffic pattern, an air traffic controller instructed the pilot to make a "short approach" to avoid traffic. The pilot reported that he lowered the landing gear handle but that he was unsure if the landing gear down indicator light had illuminated, and he did not remember visually verifying that the gear was down during the approach. The pilot stated that, during the approach, he was distracted by an odd smell in the cockpit, which he thought may have been the air conditioner malfunctioning. The airplane touched down on the runway surface with the landing gear retracted. Examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot was distracted by the odor in the cockpit and did not lower the landing gear or check that it was in the down position before landing.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear or check that it was in the down position before landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/1/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 745 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Saint Louis |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 63005 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 383944N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0903907W |
| Event Location Airport | Spirit of St. Louis |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SUS |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 463 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 754 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SUS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 463 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSUS 011254Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/13 A3004 RM |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32249 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Federal Aviation Administratio |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 16 2013 3:47PM |
| User who most recently changed record | folm |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N731NR |
| NTSB Number | CEN13LA252 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | P210N |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | P21000509 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 14 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3789 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CRAWFORD EDWARD J |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SAINT LOUIS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 63131-1721 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CRAWFORD EDWARD J |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SAINT LOUIS |
| Operator State | MO |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 63131-1721 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SME |
| Departure City | Saint Louis |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 700 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SUS |
| Destination City | Saint Louis |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 16 2013 3:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | folm |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 08R |
| Runway Length | 7484 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |