What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 17, 2023, at approximately 1330 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted, a 1973 Cessna 421B, was forced to make an emergency landing at the Vidalia Regional Airport (kvdi) located in Vidalia, Georgia, due to a left main landing gear malfunction that was unable to extend during flight. Throughout the emergency landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. There were two persons on board with no injuries. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was filed.
It was noted that during the emergency landing the PIC was instructed to land on the airports non-preferred runway 32. Evidence of tire marks showed that the aircraft touched down on the approach end of the runway on the right main and nose gear tires and was able to maintain that configuration until the aircraft eventually lost lift. As the aircraft slowed, the left wing stuck the ground, combined with aircraft braking, caused the aircraft to slide off the right side of the runway and come to rest in the grass.
During the evaluation of the aircraft damage, it was noted that the left wing, left horizontal stabilizer, left engine propeller and various areas of the fuselage sustained substantial damage because of the hard landing. The right main gear and nose gear were fully extended; however, the left main gear was still tucked up into the wheel well. An examination of the left main gear trunnion and associated linkage revealed several areas that had failed. The bell crank pivot bolt, bell crank attach point and truss assembly attach point had all sheared in various locations. Failures of this type would prevent the left gear from either manually or electrically extending in flight as experienced by the flight crew.
The PIC stated during his interview that he performed his preflight inspection before taking off and did not notice anything unusual during his inspection. He departed jackson county airport (kjca) jefferson, Georgia on a VFR flight to northeast Florida regional (ksgj) airport, with takeoff and gear retraction all normal. Due to weather they had to divert to jacksonville international airport (kjax) and on approach when extending the gear, they heard a loud thump coming from the main gear area. After several attempts both electrically and manually, they were unable to get three green lights, indicating a successful gear down landing configuration. A fly by of the air traffic control tower confirmed that only the nose and right main gear were extended, and the left gear was still up in the wheel well. At this point the decision was made to divert to Vidalia Regional Airport (vdi) and attempt an emergency landing.
A review of the aircraft logbooks revealed that a current annual inspection was performed on the airframe, power plants and propellers on 4/06/2023 and all ADS were signed off as being complied with. The aircraft had a total time (tt) of 5840 hours at the time of the annual inspection and had accumulated 18 hours of tt at the time of the accident. It was noted that during the annual inspection, the inspection authorization mechanic (IA) had noted that a landing gear swing/retract test was performed, and the gear was greased. No anomalies associated with the landing gear were noted by the mechanic. During an interview with the IA mechanic, he stated that the annual inspection was performed by using a checklist derived from appendix d of part 43 and in reference to the landing gear, he stated that the aircraft was jacked off the ground, gear inspected, gear swung, emergency extension tested, greased, and swung again.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 17, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 1973 CESSNA 421B, WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE VIDALIA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KVDI) LOCATED IN VIDALIA, GEORGIA, DUE TO A LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MALFUNCTION THAT WAS UNABLE TO EXTEND DURING FLIGHT. THROUGHOUT THE EMERGENCY LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE. THERE WERE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
IT WAS NOTED THAT DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING THE PIC WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND ON THE AIRPORTS NON-PREFERRED RUNWAY 32. EVIDENCE OF TIRE MARKS SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY ON THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR TIRES AND WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT CONFIGURATION UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT EVENTUALLY LOST LIFT. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED, THE LEFT WING STUCK THE GROUND, COMBINED WITH AIRCRAFT BRAKING, CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SLIDE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND COME TO REST IN THE GRASS.
DURING THE EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE LEFT WING, LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER AND VARIOUS AREAS OF THE FUSELAGE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE HARD LANDING. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND NOSE GEAR WERE FULLY EXTENDED; HOWEVER, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS STILL TUCKED UP INTO THE WHEEL WELL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TRUNNION AND ASSOCIATED LINKAGE REVEALED SEVERAL AREAS THAT HAD FAILED. THE BELL CRANK PIVOT BOLT, BELL CRANK ATTACH POINT AND TRUSS ASSEMBLY ATTACH POINT HAD ALL SHEARED IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS. FAILURES OF THIS TYPE WOULD PREVENT THE LEFT GEAR FROM EITHER MANUALLY OR ELECTRICALLY EXTENDING IN FLIGHT AS EXPERIENCED BY THE FLIGHT CREW.
THE PIC STATED DURING HIS INTERVIEW THAT HE PERFORMED HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BEFORE TAKING OFF AND DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL DURING HIS INSPECTION. HE DEPARTED JACKSON COUNTY AIRPORT (KJCA) JEFFERSON, GEORGIA ON A VFR FLIGHT TO NORTHEAST FLORIDA REGIONAL (KSGJ) AIRPORT, WITH TAKEOFF AND GEAR RETRACTION ALL NORMAL. DUE TO WEATHER THEY HAD TO DIVERT TO JACKSONVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KJAX) AND ON APPROACH WHEN EXTENDING THE GEAR, THEY HEARD A LOUD THUMP COMING FROM THE MAIN GEAR AREA. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND MANUALLY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO GET THREE GREEN LIGHTS, INDICATING A SUCCESSFUL GEAR DOWN LANDING CONFIGURATION. A FLY BY OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER CONFIRMED THAT ONLY THE NOSE AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR WERE EXTENDED, AND THE LEFT GEAR WAS STILL UP IN THE WHEEL WELL. AT THIS POINT THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO VIDALIA REGIONAL AIRPORT (VDI) AND ATTEMPT AN EMERGENCY LANDING.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRFRAME, POWER PLANTS AND PROPELLERS ON 4/06/2023 AND ALL ADS WERE SIGNED OFF AS BEING COMPLIED WITH. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL TIME (TT) OF 5840 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION AND HAD ACCUMULATED 18 HOURS OF TT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. IT WAS NOTED THAT DURING THE ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION MECHANIC (IA) HAD NOTED THAT A LANDING GEAR SWING/RETRACT TEST WAS PERFORMED, AND THE GEAR WAS GREASED. NO ANOMALIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE LANDING GEAR WERE NOTED BY THE MECHANIC. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE IA MECHANIC, HE STATED THAT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED BY USING A CHECKLIST DERIVED FROM APPENDIX D OF PART 43 AND IN REFERENCE TO THE LANDING GEAR, HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS JACKED OFF THE GROUND, GEAR INSPECTED, GEAR SWUNG, EMERGENCY EXTENSION TESTED, GREASED, AND SWUNG AGAIN.