Probable cause
The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear before landing, which resulted in a gear-up landing and a runway overrun.
NTSB analysis
The airplane touched down during landing with the landing gear retracted and skidded to a stop in grass about 140 ft past the end of the runway threshold. The pilot reported during a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge that, "it was a simple gear-up landing, I forgot to put the [landing gear] switch down." He added that he was not wearing noise canceling headphones, and he reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The left wing sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report, "no accident, as specified by NTSB for gear up landing, is admitted."
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for GAA17CA483 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Aug 9, 2017
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Cairo, Illinois
- Nearest airport
- Cairo Rgnl (CIR)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Rockwell International 114
- N-number
- N4986S
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1976
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.