# Incident 20140104004739I: Cessna 421C, Liberal, KS, January 4, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 4, 2014, 12:25 local time
- Place: Liberal, KS
- Airport: Liberal Mid-America Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: LQYA
- Location: 37.0439° N, 100.9600° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LIBERAL MID-AMERICA RGNL (LBL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.0439&lon=-100.9600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N648SB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N648SB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 421C (registry code 2076016, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-421c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental GTSIO-520 series (registry code 17046, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 421C
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR GTSIO-520 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 2,600 total, 117 in this make and model, 207 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140104004739I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT WAS THE LONE OCCUPANT IN THE AIRCRAFT RETURNING TO HIS HOME AIRPORT ON A C.F. R. PART 91 LEG FROM A C.F.R. PART 135 CHARTER TRIP. THE CEILING WAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET OVERCAST WITH WINDS FROM THE NORTH. THE AWOS AT THE AIRPORT WAS BROADCASTING ON THE LOCAL FREQUENCY BUT REPORTING CAPABILITY OF WEATHER DATA TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) WAS INOPERATIVE AND THE PILOT WAS INFORMED OF THIS FACT BY ATC.

THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WEATHER RECORDED, THAT DAY, WAS LOCATED 35 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE INCIDENT AIRPORT. THIS AIRPORT REPORTED THE WIND DIRECTION WAS FROM 350 DEGREES NORTH AND THE VELOCITY AS 21 NAUTICAL MILES PER HOUR (NMPH) GUSTING TO 28 NMPH. RECOMMEND 44709 RE-EXAMINATION.

THE PILOT RECEIVED A CLEARANCE FROM ATC FOR AN RNAV 17 INSTRUMENT APPROACH. WHILE DESCENDING ON THE APPROACH AND BELOW THE CLOUD CEILING BASE THE PILOT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN ATC CLEARANCE FOR A VISUAL APPROACH.

BECAUSE THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED A TRACE AMOUNT OF ICE ON THE DESCENT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAINTAIN 125 NAUTICAL MILES PER HOUR, INDICATED AIRSPEED, ON THE FINAL APPROACH. WHEN THE PILOT FLARED FOR LANDING THE AIRCRAFT WING(S) STALLED AN UNDETERMINED DISTANCE ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE. THE RESULTING HARD LANDING CAUSED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, SHOCK STRUT TUBE, TO CRACK HORIZANTALLY. THIS ALLOWED THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL TO CASTOR, TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BEGIN TURNING TO THE RIGHT, AT WHICH POINT, THE PILOT APPLIED OPPOSITE RUDDER INPUT FOLLOWED BY DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING OF WHICH, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WAS INSUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE DIRECTIONAL TURN TO THE RIGHT. AT SOME POINT DURING THE GROUND ROLL THE SHOCK STRUT SEPARATED AT THE CRACK AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND LODGED UNDERNEATH THE RIGHT WING. EVIDENCE SHOWED THAT FOLLOWING THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY SKIDDED ALONG THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT, UNDERNEATH THE WING. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY NEAR THE AIRCRAFT EMPENNAGE. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED WITH THE EMPENNAGE REMAINING OVER THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND THE AIRCRAFT ALIGNED AT ABOUT A NINETY DEGREE ANGLE RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY HEADING.

DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED BY THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT WING FLAP.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED.

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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