20021012026749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 310L · Las Vegas, NV · October 12, 2002

Date
October 12, 2002 · 23:15 local
Place
Las Vegas, NV
Airport
North Las Vegas Air Terminal
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2209F
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX03LA006
Reported as
Cessna 310L
People aboard
5
Fatal injuries
0

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) On October 12, 2002, at 12:45 pilot stated he departed north Las Vegas airport (vgt) on runway 30L. Shortly after takeoff pilot contacted Las Vegas approach and requested a touch and go at mccarran. After touch and go at mccarran pilot was vectored to (vgt) and just before reaching class e airspace pilot was told to squawk VFR and that there was a citation jet in the area. Pilot indicated that he had the cabin door come unlatched he slowed the aircraft and continued towards vgt. Pilot reported a 3 1/2 mile left base for 30L and started the landing check list. Citation jet indicated that he was on the 1 1/2 mile left base for 30L and that he would land first. Pilot was unable to notice other aircraft and stopped the check list to find traffic. Pilot continued through the approach corridor and made a 180 back to enter right base for 30L. Already at slow speed pilot did not deploy flaps, and the approach was low so pilot added power. At the point of touch down pilot retarded power levers and gear horn sounded. Pilot pushed power lever forward for go around and aircraft sank. Props struck the runway and pilot completed landing causing the aircraft to slide down the runway on the aircraft's belly. (.19) on October 12, 2002, about 2320 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310L, N2209F, was substantially damaged during landing at the north Las Vegas airport, north Las Vegas, Nevada. The airplane slid to a stop on runway 30L with its landing gear fully retracted. Neither the commercial certificated pilot nor the four passengers was injured. No flight plan was filed for the local area personal flight, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was performed under 14 CFR part 91, and it originated from the airport about 2245. The pilot reported to the national transportation safety board investigator that while performing his preflight checklist he became distracted looking for traffic, and he forgot to extend the landing gear. The pilot stated that he was slightly low on the final approach course, so he maintained engine power. He did not notice that the airplane's green landing gear down lights were not illuminated. The pilot additionally stated that as he retarded the engines' throttles for landing, he heard the landing gear warning horn activate. Nearly 1 second l ater, the airplane s propellers contacted the runway's surface. The pilot also reported that he owned and operated the airplane. No mechanical malfunctions were experienced with the airplane during the flight. At the time of the accident, the airport's air traffic control tower had closed for the evening. Following the accident the local airport security officer and federal aviation administration (FAA) air traffic control personnel (at another airport) were notified that the airplane had come to rest on the runway and was disabled. The airplane remained on the runway overnight. The faa's flight service station was not notified of the mishap, and no notice to airman (NOTAM) was issued. About 0545 the following morning (prior to dawn), a departing airplane reported experiencing a near miss with the disabled airplane. 

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON OCTOBER 12, 2002, AT 12:45 PILOT STATED HE DEPARTED NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT (VGT) ON RUNWAY 30L. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF PILOT CONTACTED LAS VEGAS APPROACH AND REQUESTED A TOUCH AND GO AT MCCARRAN. AFTER TOUCH AND GO AT MCCARRAN PILOT WAS VECTORED TO (VGT) AND JUST BEFORE REACHING CLASS E AIRSPACE PILOT WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK VFR AND THAT THERE WAS A CITATION JET IN THE AREA. PILOT INDICATED THAT HE HAD THE CABIN DOOR COME UNLATCHED HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTINUED TOWARDS VGT. PILOT REPORTED A 3 1/2 MILE LEFT BASE FOR 30L AND STARTED THE LANDING CHECK LIST. CITATION JET INDICATED THAT HE WAS ON THE 1 1/2 MILE LEFT BASE FOR 30L AND THAT HE WOULD LAND FIRST. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO NOTICE OTHER AIRCRAFT AND STOPPED THE CHECK LIST TO FIND TRAFFIC. PILOT CONTINUED THROUGH THE APPROACH CORRIDOR AND MADE A 180 BACK TO ENTER RIGHT BASE FOR 30L. ALREADY AT SLOW SPEED PILOT DID NOT DEPLOY FLAPS, AND THE APPROACH WAS LOW SO PILOT ADDED POWER. AT THE POINT OF TOUCH DOWN PILOT RETARDED POWER LEVERS AND GEAR HORN SOUNDED. PILOT PUSHED POWER LEVER FORWARD FOR GO AROUND AND AIRCRAFT SANK. PROPS STRUCK THE RUNWAY AND PILOT COMPLETED LANDING CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO SLIDE DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE AIRCRAFT'S BELLY. (.19) ON OCTOBER 12, 2002, ABOUT 2320 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 310L, N2209F, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING AT THE NORTH LAS VEGAS AIRPORT, NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP ON RUNWAY 30L WITH ITS LANDING GEAR FULLY RETRACTED. NEITHER THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT NOR THE FOUR PASSENGERS WAS INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AREA PERSONAL FLIGHT, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND IT ORIGINATED FROM THE AIRPORT ABOUT 2245. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT WHILE PERFORMING HIS PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST HE BECAME DISTRACTED LOOKING FOR TRAFFIC, AND HE FORGOT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS SLIGHTLY LOW ON THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE, SO HE MAINTAINED ENGINE POWER. HE DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE AIRPLANE'S GREEN LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT AS HE RETARDED THE ENGINES' THROTTLES FOR LANDING, HE HEARD THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN ACTIVATE. NEARLY 1 SECOND L ATER, THE AIRPLANE S PROPELLERS CONTACTED THE RUNWAY'S SURFACE. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT HE OWNED AND OPERATED THE AIRPLANE. NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WERE EXPERIENCED WITH THE AIRPLANE DURING THE FLIGHT. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPORT'S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER HAD CLOSED FOR THE EVENING. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT THE LOCAL AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICER AND FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSONNEL (AT ANOTHER AIRPORT) WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD COME TO REST ON THE RUNWAY AND WAS DISABLED. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY OVERNIGHT. THE FAA'S FLIGHT SERVICE STATION WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE MISHAP, AND NO NOTICE TO AIRMAN (NOTAM) WAS ISSUED. ABOUT 0545 THE FOLLOWING MORNING (PRIOR TO DAWN), A DEPARTING AIRPLANE REPORTED EXPERIENCING A NEAR MISS WITH THE DISABLED AIRPLANE. 

NTSB investigation

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