ATL03LA071

The pilot departed on an instrument flight rules flight plan and heard a "pop" noise during the gear retraction sequence on climb out. Upon arrival at his destination airport he completed the before landing checklist and the landing gear did not fully extend. The pilot was informed by ground personnel the main landing gear appeared to be fully extended, however the nose gear was partially extended. Efforts by the pilot to extend the landing gear were unsuccessful and he made a forced landing to the grass area adjacent to the active runway. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear, ballooned back into the air, and collided with the ground in a nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed the left landing gear door link was not connected. Review of the airplane logbook revealed an annual inspection and landing gear inspection was completed on March 30, 2003, the same day as the accident.

On March 30, 2003, at 1700 eastern standard time, a Cessna 310F, N5810X, registered to Flight Services Unlimited, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with the ground during an emergency landing with a partially extended nose gear at Rockingham County/Shiloh Airport, Reidsville, North Carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport rated pilot and passenger reported minor injuries. The flight originated from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on March 30, 2003, at 1234 central standard time.

The pilot stated the airplane had just received an annual inspection in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and this was the first flight since the inspection. On the initial climb out from Ocean Spring, the pilot heard a "pop" during the gear retraction. The pilot elected to continue to his destination airport. Upon arriving at the destination airport, the pilot entered a left downwind to runway 31 and conducted a before landing check. The pilot lowered the landing gear and the landing gear did not fully extend. The pilot remained in the traffic pattern and asked the UNICOM operator if he would visually check the landing gear as he flew overhead. The UNICOM operator informed the pilot that the main landing gears were down, but the nose landing gear appeared to be extended half way.

Efforts by the pilot to extend the landing gear were unsuccessful. The pilot decided to make an emergency landing to the right of the main runway in the wet grass. The pilot stated "he did not want to see the sparks if he landed on the paved runway". The airplane touched down on the main landing gear, ballooned back into the air, and collided with the grass in a nose down attitude. The left engine partially separated from the airframe, the airplane turned to the left 90-degrees and came to a complete stop. Upon exiting the airplane the pilot observed that the right tip tank had partially separated from the airplane.

Review of the airplane logbooks revealed the airplane last recorded annual inspection was on March 30, 2003. A landing gear retraction inspection was conducted by the airframe and power plant mechanic, and signed off on the same date. Examination of the airplane revealed the left nose landing gear door link was not connected.