N2572VCessna 177RG · 1974

On March 15, 2023, about 1335 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 177RG, N2572V, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident in Spanish Fork, Utah. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that the accident flight was the first flight since the airplane had undergone maintenance to the landing gear pump indication relay and diode to correct an uncommanded gear pump activation. The pilot departed Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), Provo, Utah and retracted the landing gear during the initial climb. After a short cross-country flight to Spanish Fork Municipal Airport/Woodhouse Field (SPK), Spanish Fork, Utah, the pilot was cleared to land. According to the pilot, the extension of the landing gear during the approach was flawless, with all indications and lights operating normally.

The pilot reported that the landing was normal. The pilot remarked that, “This airplane normally dances around a little bit after landing, so I usually start retracting the flaps to get more weight on the wheels and better brake effectiveness”. Additionally, the pilot affirmed that he raised the flap lever to the 10° setting during the landing roll and the airplane “started to waller” from side to side. The main landing gear then retracted. With the tail of the airplane dragging on the runway, the airplane skidded to a stop, with the nose of the airplane hanging off the left side of the runway in the dirt.

Postaccident photographs of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear was down and locked, as confirmed during the postaccident examination, but the left and right main landing gear had retracted.

Postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The landing gear function check was performed using the manufacturer’s maintenance manual. The landing gear operational function checks revealed normal operation within parameters, with no anomalies throughout the examination.

The diode and relay installed the morning of the accident flight were tested and functioned with no defects noted.

Following the postaccident examination, the pilot was asked, "Is it possible that you retracted the landing gear instead of the flaps during the landing roll?" The pilot replied, "Regarding your question, I’m pretty sure that the flap lever was never touched during the landing roll."