This January 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Cessna 210. Injuries: None. Location: Albuquerque, N.M. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: Shortly after takeoff and following the landing gear retraction, the pilot realized that he failed to remove the tow bar from the nose landing gear. After multiple failed attempts to extend the nose landing gear, he retracted the main landing gear and performed a gear-up landing.
Probable cause: The failure to remove the airplane’s tow bar before takeoff.
For more information: NTSB.gov
