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20130703013289A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna T210K · Mesa, AZ · July 3, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 3, 2013 · 20:30 local
Place
Mesa, AZ
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N272EF
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13LA319
Reported as
Cessna T210K
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
766 total62 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days
N272EFRegistration cancelled Mar 21, 2018 · Cessna T210KS/N 21059302 · Built 1970Airframe modelCessna T210KEngine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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.

Pilot was flying aircraft from kffz to kchd. Upon landing into chandler it was noted that the left gear would not transition to down and lock. After several attempts to get the gear t down-and-lock green, including manual override, air traffic advised him to divert to phoenix-williams gateway where there was a longer runway and ARFF to assist, if needed. A landing was made with minor damage to the aircraft and no injuries.

Met the pilot and co-owner of the aircraft at the airport. The left leading and trailing edge horizontal stabilizer had excessive buckling damage in several areas, in excess of two and three inches in the vertical and horizontal plane. Upon further examination it could clearly be seen that the damage had traveled through to both the leading and trailing edge spars. Major repairs or replacement would be necessary. Took additional pictures of the damages to the stab spar and conferred with the NTSB. It was agreed that it was substantial damage and thusly considered an ?accident? By definition. NTSB upgraded the incident to an accident based on the damage. Further information on which repair facility, location and time, pending a decision by the owner. The pilot and aircraft records were reviewed, no discrepancies were noted.

Moore aviation services will disassemble the gear to investigate the cause of the failure, on aug 17 at falcon field. An FAA representative will be present for the breakdown of the gear looking for any obvious cause of the failure for the gear collapse. The gear itself is designed to ?fail-safe?, in the down and locked position, which did not happen. It failed in flight and would not lock, causing the pilot to divert and declare the emergency. Coordination of the on-sight visit for the teardown of the gear is pending.

Update: this office observed the tear down of the left hand landing gear and actuator on 8/22/13, performed by mike moore at moore aviation services.

A broken piece of the gear tooth was found in the actuator assembly boot. No sign of binding was found that would limit the gear travel, however this piece is on the end of the piston assembly and is responsible for the final "down lock" of the main gear.

In the Cessna T210K parts manual are two illustrations showing the failed actuator part and its location. The part that failed is item number 18 on the parts sheet p/n 1281011-1 (piston assembly). Item number 24 (boot) is removable and the broken tooth, of the piston assembly, was found lying in the end of the actuator boot.

The pilot verified that the gear would retract in the ?up and locked? Position on every cycle while he was attempting to get the gear down. This broken piece explains why the gear was unable to go into the ?down and locked? Position.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS FLYING AIRCRAFT FROM KFFZ TO KCHD. UPON LANDING INTO CHANDLER IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT GEAR WOULD NOT TRANSITION TO DOWN AND LOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE GEAR T DOWN-AND-LOCK GREEN, INCLUDING MANUAL OVERRIDE, AIR TRAFFIC ADVISED HIM TO DIVERT TO PHOENIX-WILLIAMS GATEWAY WHERE THERE WAS A LONGER RUNWAY AND ARFF TO ASSIST, IF NEEDED. A LANDING WAS MADE WITH MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURIES.

MET THE PILOT AND CO-OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE AIRPORT. THE LEFT LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD EXCESSIVE BUCKLING DAMAGE IN SEVERAL AREAS, IN EXCESS OF TWO AND THREE INCHES IN THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PLANE. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION IT COULD CLEARLY BE SEEN THAT THE DAMAGE HAD TRAVELED THROUGH TO BOTH THE LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE SPARS. MAJOR REPAIRS OR REPLACEMENT WOULD BE NECESSARY. TOOK ADDITIONAL PICTURES OF THE DAMAGES TO THE STAB SPAR AND CONFERRED WITH THE NTSB. IT WAS AGREED THAT IT WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THUSLY CONSIDERED AN ?ACCIDENT? BY DEFINITION. NTSB UPGRADED THE INCIDENT TO AN ACCIDENT BASED ON THE DAMAGE. FURTHER INFORMATION ON WHICH REPAIR FACILITY, LOCATION AND TIME, PENDING A DECISION BY THE OWNER. THE PILOT AND AIRCRAFT RECORDS WERE REVIEWED, NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED.

MOORE AVIATION SERVICES WILL DISASSEMBLE THE GEAR TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, ON AUG 17 AT FALCON FIELD. AN FAA REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE PRESENT FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THE GEAR LOOKING FOR ANY OBVIOUS CAUSE OF THE FAILURE FOR THE GEAR COLLAPSE. THE GEAR ITSELF IS DESIGNED TO ?FAIL-SAFE?, IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN. IT FAILED IN FLIGHT AND WOULD NOT LOCK, CAUSING THE PILOT TO DIVERT AND DECLARE THE EMERGENCY. COORDINATION OF THE ON-SIGHT VISIT FOR THE TEARDOWN OF THE GEAR IS PENDING.

UPDATE: THIS OFFICE OBSERVED THE TEAR DOWN OF THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR AND ACTUATOR ON 8/22/13, PERFORMED BY MIKE MOORE AT MOORE AVIATION SERVICES.

A BROKEN PIECE OF THE GEAR TOOTH WAS FOUND IN THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY BOOT. NO SIGN OF BINDING WAS FOUND THAT WOULD LIMIT THE GEAR TRAVEL, HOWEVER THIS PIECE IS ON THE END OF THE PISTON ASSEMBLY AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINAL "DOWN LOCK" OF THE MAIN GEAR.

IN THE CESSNA T210K PARTS MANUAL ARE TWO ILLUSTRATIONS SHOWING THE FAILED ACTUATOR PART AND ITS LOCATION. THE PART THAT FAILED IS ITEM NUMBER 18 ON THE PARTS SHEET P/N 1281011-1 (PISTON ASSEMBLY). ITEM NUMBER 24 (BOOT) IS REMOVABLE AND THE BROKEN TOOTH, OF THE PISTON ASSEMBLY, WAS FOUND LYING IN THE END OF THE ACTUATOR BOOT.

THE PILOT VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR WOULD RETRACT IN THE ?UP AND LOCKED? POSITION ON EVERY CYCLE WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET THE GEAR DOWN. THIS BROKEN PIECE EXPLAINS WHY THE GEAR WAS UNABLE TO GO INTO THE ?DOWN AND LOCKED? POSITION.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR13LA319Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPhoenix, AZThe collapse of the left main landing gear due to a broken gear tooth in the landing gear actuator.Jul 4, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N272EF · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20170102000209ACruise/Level Flight · Payson, AZOn January 2, 2017, a Cessna T210K, N272EF, impacted mountainous terrain north of Payson, AZ, at an elevation of 6,601 feet. The mountains are part of a tall escarpment, the mogollon rim, that reaches an elevation of between 7,900 and 8,000 feet and rises…Jan 2, 2017 · Destroyed · 4 fatal