# Accident 20230405004459A: Cessna 421C, Leesburg, VA, April 5, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 5, 2023, 14:00 local time
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Airport: Leesburg Executive Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0780° N, 77.5575° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0780&lon=-77.5575&mi=10
- Aircraft: N880JS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N880JS) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA180) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230405004459A

## Narrative

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

04/05/2020 – 1300 – AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VEERED OFF OF RUNWAY 17 AT KJYO UPON LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LEFT YAW AS THE MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. TIRE MARKINGS SHOW THE YAWING MOTION WAS IMMEDIATE. ACCIDENT PILOT REPORTED ATTEMPTS TO COUNTER STEER WITH HARD RIGHT RUDDER, HOWEVER, IT DID NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT. AS THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RUNWAY THE LEFT MAIN GEAR BROKE FREE FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TOP OF THE LEFT MAIN STRUT. HALF OF THE UPPER CASTING WAS FOUND PARTIALLY ATTACHED TO THE STRUT. THE REMAINING UPPER STRUT TRUNNION WAS FOUND NEXT TO THE RUNWAY WITH THREE WASHERS AND THE LANDING GEAR DOOR LINKAGE.

EYE WITNESS WAS LOCATED ON THE AIRFIELD APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE TOUCHDOWN LOCATION PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. THE WITNESS REPORTED WATCHING THE AIRCRAFT FROM LATE APPROACH TO FINAL RESTING POSITION. WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE LEFT MAIN TIRE NOT ROTATING AS THEY WOULD EXPECT AND TIRE SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE LEFT MAIN TIRE.

INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TRUNNION HAD CRACKED VERTICALLY AND RELEASED THE STRUT. WHEEL WAS FORCED THROUGH THE AFT PORTION OF THE WING BETWEEN THE ENGINE COWLING AND FUSELAGE. THE HYDRAULIC GEAR ACTUATING CYLINDER WAS STILL ATTACHED TO ITS UPPER MOUNTING BRACING AND THE STRUT BODY. THE UPPER MOUNTING BRACING FOR THE GEAR ACTUATING CYLINDER WAS TORN FROM THE SPAR CAP AND SHEAR WEBS. RIBS AFT OF THE LANDING GEAR WERE DAMAGED FROM THE WHEEL IMPACTING THE WING.

FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR & WHEEL SHOWED THE WHEEL HAD ROTATED 180 DEGREES ON THE STRUT AND THE HARDWARE HOLDING THE SCISSOR LINK WAS MISSING. EXAMINATION OF THE SCISSOR LINK DID NOT REVEAL DAMAGE FROM A SHEAR ACTION OR ABNORMAL STRESS. IT IS POSSIBLE THE HARDWARE HOLDING THE SCISSOR LINK WAS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY UPON THE LAST LANDING GEAR OVERHAUL/REMOVAL AND DROPPED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SCISSOR LINK HARDWARE WAS NOT RECOVERED FOR EXAMINATION. DAMAGE ON THE LEFT MAIN TIRE INDICATES THE TIRE HAD CASTERED ON LANDING AND STEERED THE AIRCRAFT OFF OF THE RUNWAY. THE TIRE EXPERIENCED ABNORMAL WEAR AND HEAT DAMAGE. WEAR ON THE TIRE CONSISTED OF CRACKING AND RUBBER ROLLED OVER ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE TIRE TREAD AS IF THE TIRE MATERIAL WAS PUSHED OR EXFOLIATED IN THAT DIRECTION. THERE WERE NOT ANY FLAT SPOTS TO INDICATE THE TIRE FAILED TO ROTATE OR A SEIZED WHEEL/BRAKES. THE BRAKE CALIPERS AND PADS WERE EXAMINED. NO ABNORMAL WEAR OR DAMAGE WAS FOUND.

ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WAS ON-BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

## 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 ERA23LA180](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA180), Apr 5, 2023: Cessna 421C (N880JS), Leesburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Separation of the left man landing gear scissor hardware, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent runway excursion during landing.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.