19990716031369A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna T210M · Cedar City, UT · July 16, 1999

Date
July 16, 1999 · 11:00 local
Place
Cedar City, UT
Airport
Cedar City Municipal
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6029N
NTSB investigation
NTSBDEN00LA033
Reported as
Cessna T210M
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520*
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,163 total760 in this make and model14 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Aircraft had an electrical failure resulting in a partial landing gear extension, damage was limited to wingtip and skin. Investigation into the cause of the electrical failure continues. Findings will be reported via an amendment to this report. (.19) on July 16, 1999, at 1100 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N6029N, sustained substantial damage during a partial landing gear retracted landing at Cedar City, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal cross-country flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed salt lake city, Utah at 0930, with an intended destination of saint george, Utah. According to information provided by the pilot, the flight was over flying Cedar City when all electrical power was lost due to an alternator failure. The pilots' attempts to lower the landing gear via the alternate method resulted in the nose landing gear being extended and the main landing gear remaining in the retracted position. During the ensuing emergency landing, damage was incurred which necessitated replacement of a horizontal stabilizer and ele vator. (.4) on July 16, 1999, at 1100 mountain daylight time, a Cessna T210M, N6029N, sustained substantial damage during a partial landing gear retracted landing at Cedar City, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this personal cross-country flight operating under title 14 CFR part 91 and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed salt lake city, Utah at 0930, with an intended destination of saint george, Utah. According to information provided by the pilot, the flight was over flying Cedar City when all electrical power was lost due to an alternator failure. The pilots' attempts to lower the landing gear via the alternate method resulted in the nose landing gear being extended and the main landing gear remaining in the retracted position. During the ensuing emergency landing, damage was incurred which necessitated replacement of the horizontal stabilizers and elevators. According to a mechanic who examined the aircraft, the electrical failure was due to a fault in the alternator. The mechanic provided an opinion that a check valve in the lan ding gear hydraulic system may not have operated properly and this could have prevented alternate lowering of the main landing gear. Procedures in the airplane operating manual (applicable pages attached), stated that "if the landing gear fails to extend via the alternate method electrical power should be turned off by securing the avionics power and master switches and another attempt should be made. After extension, the switches should be turned back on to verify landing gear position." Based on a telephone interview with the pilot and information provided in writing, the pilot did not follow these procedures.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT HAD AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE RESULTING IN A PARTIAL LANDING GEAR EXTENSION, DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO WINGTIP AND SKIN. INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE CONTINUES. FINDINGS WILL BE REPORTED VIA AN AMENDMENT TO THIS REPORT. (.19) ON JULY 16, 1999, AT 1100 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T210M, N6029N, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A PARTIAL LANDING GEAR RETRACTED LANDING AT CEDAR CITY, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AT 0930, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF SAINT GEORGE, UTAH. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT WAS OVER FLYING CEDAR CITY WHEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST DUE TO AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. THE PILOTS' ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR VIA THE ALTERNATE METHOD RESULTED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BEING EXTENDED AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR REMAINING IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. DURING THE ENSUING EMERGENCY LANDING, DAMAGE WAS INCURRED WHICH NECESSITATED REPLACEMENT OF A HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELE VATOR. (.4) ON JULY 16, 1999, AT 1100 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T210M, N6029N, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A PARTIAL LANDING GEAR RETRACTED LANDING AT CEDAR CITY, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THIS PERSONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH AT 0930, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF SAINT GEORGE, UTAH. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE PILOT, THE FLIGHT WAS OVER FLYING CEDAR CITY WHEN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST DUE TO AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. THE PILOTS' ATTEMPTS TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR VIA THE ALTERNATE METHOD RESULTED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR BEING EXTENDED AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR REMAINING IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. DURING THE ENSUING EMERGENCY LANDING, DAMAGE WAS INCURRED WHICH NECESSITATED REPLACEMENT OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND ELEVATORS. ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC WHO EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT, THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAULT IN THE ALTERNATOR. THE MECHANIC PROVIDED AN OPINION THAT A CHECK VALVE IN THE LAN DING GEAR HYDRAULIC SYSTEM MAY NOT HAVE OPERATED PROPERLY AND THIS COULD HAVE PREVENTED ALTERNATE LOWERING OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. PROCEDURES IN THE AIRPLANE OPERATING MANUAL (APPLICABLE PAGES ATTACHED), STATED THAT "IF THE LANDING GEAR FAILS TO EXTEND VIA THE ALTERNATE METHOD ELECTRICAL POWER SHOULD BE TURNED OFF BY SECURING THE AVIONICS POWER AND MASTER SWITCHES AND ANOTHER ATTEMPT SHOULD BE MADE. AFTER EXTENSION, THE SWITCHES SHOULD BE TURNED BACK ON TO VERIFY LANDING GEAR POSITION." BASED ON A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT AND INFORMATION PROVIDED IN WRITING, THE PILOT DID NOT FOLLOW THESE PROCEDURES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.