# NTSB CEN17LA212: Cessna 210F, N1854F, Anoka, MN, June 3, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 2, 2017, 19:11 local (Jun 3, 2017, 00:11 UTC) - Place: Anoka, MN - Coordinates: 45.145, -93.210281 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.1450&lon=-93.2103&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 15, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Minneapolis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95299 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN17LA212 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95299/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95299 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17LA212 ## Probable cause The failure of the landing gear to fully extend due to insufficient hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic system as a result of inadequate maintenance by the airplane owner. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Incorrect service/maintenance (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md) - [Action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Owner/builder (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000/cases.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041000/cases.md) - [Maintenance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062000): Personnel issues › Task performance · Owner/builder (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062000/cases.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 143 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) - [Landing: Landing gear not configured](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 584 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/095/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Cessna 210F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2073418), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, reported that the airplane's landing gear did not fully retract when he raised the gear handle after takeoff. He attempted to lower the landing gear using emergency procedures without success. He subsequently conducted a full-flap landing, and as the airplane settled onto the runway, the main landing gear retracted into the landing gear bay. The airplane veered off the runway and the right horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged as the airplane skidded to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed that there was insufficient hydraulic fluid in the system to manually pump the landing gear into the fully-extended position. The pilot reported that the airplane's hydraulic system had been over-pressurized by a mechanic a few years before the accident and that there had been trouble with hydraulic leaks ever since. He reported that he added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir every 12 flight hours; however, there were no aircraft maintenance logbook entries concerning the work performed. He also reported that, a few days before the accident, he had filled the hydraulic reservoir and then flew the airplane for between 45 and 60 minutes. He did not recheck the hydraulic fluid level after that flight. ## Factual narrative On June 2, 2017 about 1911 central daylight time, a Cessna 210F, N1854F, sustained substantial damage during landing at the Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE), Anoka, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight was departing at the time of the accident with Park Rapids Municipal Airport (PKD), Park Rapids, Minnesota, as the destination. The pilot reported that the airplane's landing gear did not fully retract when he raised the gear handle during the takeoff climb. The pilot reported that he attempted to lower the landing gear using emergency procedures without success. He returned to ANE and continued to fly over the airport for about an hour to burn off more fuel, and to continue trying to lower the landing gear using emergency procedures. He stated that he tried manually extending the landing gear with the master switch in the On and OFF position, but without effect. The ANE tower controller confirmed that the main landing gear were in a partially retracted position, and that the nose wheel was in the down position. The pilot conducted a full flap landing to runway 18. As the airplane settled onto the runway, the main landing gear retracted into the landing gear bay. The airplane veered off the runway and the right horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged as the airplane skidded to a stop. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector's examination of the airplane revealed that there was insufficient hydraulic fluid in the system to manually pump the landing gear into the fully extended position. The hydraulic hoses were original equipment from 1966 but they appeared functional. No obvious hydraulic fluid leaks were observed. The pilot reported that the airplane's hydraulic system had been over pressurized by a mechanic a few years before the accident, and that there had been trouble with hydraulic leaks ever since. He reported that he added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir every 12 hours, but there were no aircraft maintenance logbook write-ups concerning the work performed. He reported that a few days before the accident, he had filled the hydraulic reservoir and then flew the airplane for about 45 to 60 minutes. He did not recheck the hydraulic reservoir after that flight. The airplane's owner reported that the last annual maintenance inspection was performed on December 1, 2016, and the airplane had a total airframe time of 6,736 hours. However, the mechanic reported that he conducted the last annual maintenance inspection of the airplane on December 20, 2016. He stated that he gave the airplane's owner a maintenance entry on a "sticky note" that indicated that an annual maintenance inspection had been performed. The mechanic did not have a copy of the maintenance entry. Themechanic reported that although the airplane has a history of hydraulic system leaks due to an apparent over pressurization of the system by another mechanic in the past, during the last annual inspection, the landing gear operated satisfactorily with no obvious leaks. The mechanic stated that he was unaware that the pilot had to continually add hydraulic fluid. The mechanic stated that about a year earlier, he replaced an O-ring in the hydraulic filter screen. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1854F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1854F), registered now, S/N 21058754, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 210F - Registry model: [Cessna 210F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-210f) (registry code 2073418) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 21058754 - Year built: 1966 - Airframe hours: 6736 - Engines: Continental IO-540-A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2016 - Departed: ANE, Blaine, MN - Destination: PKD, Park Rapids, MN - Airport: ANE, Anoka County Airport, runway 18, 4,855 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,500 total, 500 in this make and model, 1,300 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 170° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.85 inHg - Observed at: ANE ## 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 20170602009209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170602009209A), Jun 2, 2017: Cessna 210F, Blaine, MN, Substantial damage. Aircraft departed Anoka county-Blaine airport (kane) for a personal flight with pilot as sole occupant. On departure landing gear would not fully retract.… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 26, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95299. 2.2 MB in all. - NTSB Record of Conversation (item 1, .PDF, 55 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40461980&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Record%20of%20Conversation-Master.PDF - FAA Record of Conversations (item 2, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462000&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Record%20of%20Conversations-Master.PDF - Hydraulic Servicing Information (item 3, .PDF, 317 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462001&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Hydraulic%20Servicing%20Information%20-Master.PDF - Maintenance Manual Excerpt (item 4, .PDF, 98 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462002&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Manual%20Excerpt-Master.PDF - Investigation Photos (item 5, .PDF, 2 photos, 399 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40462003&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-Master.PDF 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.