# Accident 19980223001709A: Cessna T210M, Lafayette, LA, February 23, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 23, 1998, 10:38 local time
- Place: Lafayette, LA
- Airport: Lafayette Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.2053° N, 91.9876° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2053&lon=-91.9876&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7354M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7354M-2009-01-23) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna T210M (registry code 2073451, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA T210M
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO520*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 5,300 total, 700 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA131) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980223001709A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT ADVISED THERE WAS SMOKE AND FIRE IN THE COCKPIT AND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO GET THE LANDING GEAR DOWN. (-23) ON 02/23/98, JON R. MARTIN DEPARTED LAFAYETE REGIONAL AIRPORT IN HIS CE-210M, AT ABOUT 8 MILES OUT FROM THE AIRPORT, MR. MARTIN STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.  MR. MARTIN TURNED THE AIRCRAFT AROUND AND RADIOED THE TOWER AT LAFAYETTE THAT HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.  MR. MARTIN TRIED TO LOWER HIS LANDING GEAR, BUT FOUND OUT HE HAD NO HYDRAULIC PRESSURE, HE THEN TRIED THE HAND PUMP, BUT TO NO AVAIL. MR. MARTIN THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT GEAR UP ON RUNWAY 4R. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DUE TO AN IN FLIGHT FIRE AND GEAR UP LANDING.  M&D REPORT FILED.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND GEAR UP LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD 'NOT GONE MORE THAN EIGHT MILES FROM THE AIRPORT, WHEN (HE) STARTED TO SMELL SMOKE'. HE OBSERVED WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE CO-PILOT'S SIDE AND 'SHORTLY' THEREAFTER THE ENGINE 'BEGAN TO SURGE'. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND THE GEAR USING THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH AND BEGAN USING THE EMERGENCY GEAR PUMP. AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PUMP THE GEAR DOWN HE NOTICED A FIRE THAT 'LOOKED TO BE AROUND THE HYDRAULIC RESERVOIR ON THE CO-PILOT'S SIDE'. A GEAR UP LANDING WAS EXECUTED ON RUNWAY 04R. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR WELL WAS BURNED IN THE VICINITY OF THE FUEL LINE THAT CONNECTS THE FUEL PUMP TO THE STRAINER. THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRES, WHICH ARE NORMALLY SECURED TO THE NOSE GEAR STRUT, WERE FOUND LOOSE. THE SQUAT SWITCH WIRES WERE CRIMPED AND THE PROTECTIVE CASING AROUND THE WIRE WAS BURNED AWAY AT THE CRIMPED AREA. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE FIRE BURNED A HOLE IN THE ENGINE FIREWALL.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA131](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA131), Feb 23, 1998: Cessna 210M (N7354M), Lafayette, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The unsecured squat switch wires located in the nose gear that were crimped (damaged) when the landing gear was retracted and shorted, resulting in an in-flight fire. A factor was the failure of the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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