- Date
- December 9, 1998, 18:21 local (23:21 UTC)
- Place
- Ft Myers, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N218SCessna 310C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981209033159A
- Case key
- 45467
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane by the pilot and subsequent malfunction of the nose gear strut, and the pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist.
Analysis
During his preflight inspection of the airplane the pilot did not notice that the nose gear strut had collapsed and was not fully extended. After takeoff the landing gear retraction was normal. When the pilot arrived at the destination airport, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle, completed the before landing check, but did not confirm cockpit indications of the landing gear position. The airplane touched down with the nose gear in the retracted position. Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the nose gear strut failed to extend in the wheel well and interfered with the right hand nose gear door.
Factual narrative
On December 9, 1998, at 1821 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 310C, N218S, registered to a private individual, landed with the landing gear retracted at Page Field, in Fort Myers, Florida. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. A review of weather data from the nearest reporting facility revealed that visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. An examination of the airplane at the accident site, by an Airworthiness Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, disclosed that the airframe sustained substantial structural damage to the underside of the airframe. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Daytona Beach, Florida, at 1700.
According to the pilot, during his preflight inspection of the airplane he did not notice that the nose gear strut had collapsed and was not fully extended. After takeoff the landing gear retraction was normal. When the pilot arrived at the destination airport, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle, during the before landing check, but did not confirm cockpit indications of the landing gear position. The pilot reported that the gear warning horn sounded seconds prior to touchdown. The airplane touched down with the nose gear in the retracted position.
Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the nose gear strut failed to extend in the wheel well and interfered with the right hand nose gear door. Maintenance and service information on the nose wheel strut was not available. The airplane was last inspected on February 7, 1998. The before landing checklist instructs the pilot to check the landing gear down and lock indicators.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N218S
- Reported as
- Cessna 310C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35963
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bill Meazell, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1998 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- 44J · Spruce Creek, FL
- Destination
- FMY · Fort Meyers, FL
- Airport
- FMY · Paige Field, runway 5, 6,401 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 215 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FMY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.