# NTSB ATL03LA071: Cessna 310F, N5810X, Reidsville, NC, March 30, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 30, 2003, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Reidsville, NC - Coordinates: 36.436943, -79.85083 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4369&lon=-79.8508&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Greensboro FSDO-05 - NTSB case key (mKey): 56714 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL03LA071 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56714/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL03LA071 ## Probable cause The failure of maintenance personnel to properly install the nose gear landing door link during an annual inspection that resulted in the failure of the nose gear to fully extend. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Nose gear collapsed, emergency landing - maintenance,installation - improper, other maintenance personnel (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - flare/touchdown - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis 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. ## Factual narrative 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. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5810X](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5810X-2006-05-04), registration cancelled 2006-05-04, S/N 310-0110, built 1971 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 310F - Registry model: [Cessna 310F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310f) (registry code 2074216) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-470-series) (registry code 17044, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 310-0110 - Airframe hours: 3801.4 - Engines: Continental IO-470-D 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Patrick L. Owens - Registered owner: Flight Services Unlimited - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 30, 2003, 3.6 hours before - Departed: 5R2, Ocean Springs, MS - Destination: 78N, Reidsville, NC - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: 78N, Rockingham County, runway 31, 5,199 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: minor; commercial, flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 10, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 16,010 total, 1,254 in this make and model, 15,940 as pilot in command, 56 in the last 90 days, 18 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,000 ft overcast - Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: GSO, 21 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030330008229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030330008229A), Mar 30, 2003: Cessna 310F, Reidsville, NC, Substantial damage. (-23) On 3/30/03 aircraft N5810X a Cessna 310F departed ocean spring, Mississippi airport (5R2) enroute to rockinham-Shiloh, NC airport (78N). The aircraft… 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. --- 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.