# Accident 20001213040829A: Cessna 421B, Pensacola, FL, December 13, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 13, 2000, 22:27 local time
- Place: Pensacola, FL
- Airport: Pensacola Regional Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: YLAA
- Location: 30.4705° N, 87.1901° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4705&lon=-87.1901&mi=10
- Aircraft: N781SL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 421B
- Reported engine: CONT GTSIO520H
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,127 total, 94 in this make and model, 128 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA01LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA040) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001213040829A

## Narrative

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

(-23) PILOT STATED AFTER DEPARTURE FROM PENSACOLA REGIONAL AIRPORT THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. AFTER LANDING AT PENSACOLA REGIONAL AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT. FLIGHT CREW ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT WITH DIFFERENTIAL POWER, RIGHT FULL RUDDER AND RIGHT BRAKE. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT, STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. (.4) AFTER TAKEOFF THE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT AND THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN SOUNDED. THE PILOT CONTINUED TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND WHEN WEATHER PREVENTED A LANDING, HE RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. AFTER LANDING THE AIRCRAFT SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TIRE COULD BE HEARD SQUEALING. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND SEPARATED. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THE WASHER, WHICH RETAINS THE BOLT IN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SCISSORS, HAD FAILED AND THE SCISSORS HAD SEPARATED. THIS ALLOWED THE GEAR TO TURN AND PREVENTED THE GEAR FROM RETRACTING DUE TO THE GROUND SWITCH ON THE SCIS                                                                        SORS NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN DURING TAKEOFF. THE FAILED WASHER WAS THE SUBJECT OF CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY, SERVICE INFORMATION LETTER ME83-37, DATED NOVEMBER 23, 1983. THIS LETTER CALLED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THIS WASHER WITH A THICKER WASHER AT THE NEXT ROUTINE 100-HOUR INSPECTION.

## 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 MIA01LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA040), Dec 14, 2000: Cessna 421B (N781SL), Pensacola, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the left main landing gear scissors washer during taxi for takeoff, and collapse of the left main landing gear. A factor in the accident was the failure of unknown maintenance…

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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