Aircraft Pilots Land NetJets Citation Longitude Without Nose Gear at Akron-Canton

On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, two aircraft pilots flying a NetJets Cessna Citation Longitude executed an emergency landing at Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) in Green, Ohio, after the jet’s nose landing gear would not deploy. The crew touched down on the main wheels, kept the nose elevated until speed bled off, and slid to a stop on Runway 1 with no injuries aboard. The aircraft suffered damage to its nose and underside.

Editor’s note: This article draws on statements from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Akron-Canton Airport, the City of Green Fire Division, and reporting from Fox 8 Cleveland, Cleveland 19 News, the Akron Beacon Journal (via USA TODAY Network), and AeroTime, August 18–19, 2026. The cause of the gear malfunction remains under investigation.

Flight EJA803 and the gear failure

The Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) said NetJets Flight EJA803 — a Citation Longitude registered as N803QS — was on approach from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) when the crew reported a front-landing-gear malfunction.

Detail	Information
Date and time	August 18, 2026, about 12:53 p.m. local
Aircraft	Cessna Citation Longitude (Textron Model 700), tail N803QS
Operator	NetJets fractional-ownership fleet
Route	Dulles (IAD) → Akron-Canton (CAK)
People aboard	Two pilots; no passengers
Outcome	No injuries; damage to nose and underside

Flight-tracking data cited by multiple outlets showed the jet leaving Dulles around 10:48 a.m. and reaching CAK at approximately 12:54 p.m. Witnesses told Fox 8 the aircraft circled the airport while the pilots worked through emergency checklists in an attempt to lower the stuck nose gear. When those efforts failed, the crew committed to landing with only the main gear extended.

A landing captured on video

Footage recorded at the scene — including video from Keith Grossmann, a 47-year pilot and CEO of nearby Castle Aviation — spread widely on August 19 and helped explain why the incident drew national attention.

The clips show a technique rarely seen outside training simulators: the Longitude touched down on its rear/main wheels, the pilots held the nose off the pavement for several seconds as the jet slowed, and only then allowed the nose to settle onto the runway.

Grossmann, who monitored radio traffic during the approach, told Fox 8 the crew ran “everything he could possibly do” on the emergency checklist before choosing to land. He called the result “an outstanding job” and noted that partial gear failures — where two of three legs deploy but one does not — are unusually rare compared with full belly landings.

Aviation specialists quoted in industry coverage said holding the nose up as long as possible helps reduce speed and can limit the risk of a violent pitch-down on rollout. The controlled sequence appeared to have kept both pilots safe despite substantial cosmetic and structural damage once the nose contacted the surface.

Emergency response and airport operations

City of Green Fire Division crews and Akron-Canton Airport emergency operations responded in Summit County.

• Runway 1 closed immediately after the landing.
• Airport staff worked to reopen Runway 23 for continued traffic.
• The terminal stayed open throughout the response.
• By about 3:25 p.m., Runway 23 had reopened and normal operations resumed, an airport spokesperson told the Akron Beacon Journal.

OSHP said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been notified. The agency typically reviews gear-related incidents involving commercial and fractional jet operations, though the National Transportation Safety Board decides case-by-case whether to launch a full investigation.

About the Citation Longitude

The FAA registry lists N803QS as a 2020 Textron Aviation Model 700 Citation Longitude, configured for fractional ownership through NetJets.

The Longitude is the largest jet in Cessna’s current business-aircraft line — a super-midsize model powered by two Honeywell HTF7700L turbofans, with a published range of roughly 3,500 nautical miles. NetJets became the type’s launch customer after a major 2018 order; its Longitudes are typically configured for up to 12 passengers, though this repositioning flight carried crew only.

NetJets, one of the world’s largest private-aviation providers, had not publicly commented on the cause of Tuesday’s malfunction as of reporting on August 19.

What investigators will examine

OSHP said its inquiry remains ongoing, with additional information to be released when available. Early public statements did not identify a probable cause.

Investigators routinely review:

• Maintenance and gear-extension logs for N803QS
• Cockpit voice and flight-data recorders, if equipped and recoverable
• Air-traffic communications during the hold and approach
• Weather and runway conditions at CAK
• NetJets and manufacturer service bulletins related to landing-gear systems

Partial gear failures can stem from hydraulic, mechanical, or electronic faults, but officials cautioned that any explanation at this stage would be speculative.

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Discussion

1. When only one landing-gear leg fails, how long should pilots keep circling to troubleshoot?

The EJA803 crew spent time on checklists and orbits before touching down. Where would you draw the line between buying time to fix a gear and burning fuel, altitude, and attention?

2. Does widely shared witness video help the public understand aviation safety—or mainly amplify alarm?

Clips from Castle Aviation and firefighters spread quickly nationwide. Does that visibility build confidence in pilot training, or does it risk turning a successful outcome into sensational footage?

If you follow aviation or have trained on emergency procedures, share what you think the crew got right—and what you’d want investigators to answer first.

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