Cessna P210N N711BG accident near Corvallis, Oregon

Probable cause

The pilot's inadvertent selection and activation of the landing gear handle rather than the flap handle during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to alter the configuration of the airplane before exiting the runway.

NTSB analysis

At the conclusion of a cross-country flight and as the airplane was approaching the non-towered airport, the pilot announced his position and his intention to conduct a straight-in approach to runway 35. The landing was normal, and during the landing roll, when the airplane had slowed to about 50 knots, the pilot decided to retract the flaps. However, he inadvertently grasped and raised the landing gear handle instead, and the nose gear retracted. The main gear remained extended, and the airplane came to a stop on the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose keel structure, as well as damage to the cowl, nose gear doors, and propeller. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

The pilot further reported, “When landing, pilot should make no changes to flaps or other systems until the airplane has fully decelerated.”

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR13CA258 for the full record.