What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 19, 2012, netjets (dxta) flight EJA576, N576QS a Cessna citation CE-560XL originated a 14 CFR part 135 flight from Nantucket, MA (kack) to lexington, KY (klex). The flight departed kack at 1335 local time. There was one female passenger on board and a crew of two. The aircraft departed on runway 6 and at approximately 5 – 10 feet in the air the pilot of aircraft N332FX an aircraft that had just landed and was taxiing back to the terminal reported that it looked like a water balloon burst under the left wing of N576QS. Aircraft N332FX reported as N576QS flew past the aircraft that the left main gear was hanging down and the tire appeared intact. Upon returning to kack the aircraft reported to have an 800-1000 pound fuel imbalance between the left and right wing fuel. The left wing was lower than the right wing. The tower reported that upon landing the aircraft was streaming out fuel so fast that it looked like smoke coming from the left wing. During an inspection of the aircraft it was noted that there was a puncture approximately 3 ½ inch long in the sidewall of the fuel tank in line with the aft trunnion attach point of the left gear. During landing it appears that the left gear aft trunnion attach point was driven upward causing bulging, popped rivets and cracks into the upper wing skin. It appears that the aft trunnion attach pin was not installed (seated) correctly allowing the pin to migrate aft and fall out of the trunnion into the flap well. The pin was found by citation service center technicians in the aft flap well channel upon their initial inspection of the aircraft. The locking bolt that should go through the trunnion pin was still installed with witness mark on the nut in the aft trunnion slot. On November 29, 2012, NTSB investigator reported the accident was being downgraded from an accident to an incident per NTSB structural engineer clint crookshanks.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 19, 2012, NETJETS (DXTA) FLIGHT EJA576, N576QS A CESSNA CITATION CE-560XL ORIGINATED A 14 CFR PART 135 FLIGHT FROM NANTUCKET, MA (KACK) TO LEXINGTON, KY (KLEX). THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KACK AT 1335 LOCAL TIME. THERE WAS ONE FEMALE PASSENGER ON BOARD AND A CREW OF TWO.THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 6 AND AT APPROXIMATELY 5 – 10 FEET IN THE AIR THE PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N332FX AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD JUST LANDED AND WAS TAXIING BACK TO THE TERMINAL REPORTED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE A WATER BALLOON BURST UNDER THE LEFT WING OF N576QS. AIRCRAFT N332FX REPORTED AS N576QS FLEW PAST THE AIRCRAFT THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS HANGING DOWN AND THE TIRE APPEARED INTACT. UPON RETURNING TO KACK THE AIRCRAFT REPORTED TO HAVE AN 800-1000 POUND FUEL IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING FUEL. THE LEFT WING WAS LOWER THAN THE RIGHT WING. THE TOWER REPORTED THAT UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT WAS STREAMING OUT FUEL SO FAST THAT IT LOOKED LIKE SMOKE COMING FROM THE LEFT WING.DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WAS A PUNCTURE APPROXIMATELY 3 ½ INCH LONG IN THE SIDEWALL OF THE FUEL TANK IN LINE WITH THE AFT TRUNNION ATTACH POINT OF THE LEFT GEAR. DURING LANDING IT APPEARS THAT THE LEFT GEAR AFT TRUNNION ATTACH POINT WAS DRIVEN UPWARD CAUSING BULGING, POPPED RIVETS AND CRACKS INTO THE UPPER WING SKIN. IT APPEARS THAT THE AFT TRUNNION ATTACH PIN WAS NOT INSTALLED (SEATED) CORRECTLY ALLOWING THE PIN TO MIGRATE AFT AND FALL OUT OF THE TRUNNION INTO THE FLAP WELL. THE PIN WAS FOUND BY CITATION SERVICE CENTER TECHNICIANS IN THE AFT FLAP WELL CHANNEL UPON THEIR INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LOCKING BOLT THAT SHOULD GO THROUGH THE TRUNNION PIN WAS STILL INSTALLED WITH WITNESS MARK ON THE NUT IN THE AFT TRUNNION SLOT.ON NOVEMBER 29, 2012, NTSB INVESTIGATOR REPORTED THE ACCIDENT WAS BEING DOWNGRADED FROM AN ACCIDENT TO AN INCIDENT PER NTSB STRUCTURAL ENGINEER CLINT CROOKSHANKS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.