# NTSB CEN18LA128: Cessna 310R, N372WP, Kansas City, MO, March 22, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 22, 2018, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Kansas City, MO - Coordinates: 39.123054, -94.592781 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1231&lon=-94.5928&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 19, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Kansas City FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 96935 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA128 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96935/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96935 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA128 ## Probable cause The landing gear collapse due to the separation of the end fitting bolt for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: gear extension and retract sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 310R, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md?model=2074245), [All aircraft, 416 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023230/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 310R, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=2074245), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [Cessna 310R, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=2074245), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airline transport pilot reported that the landing gear position lights were all green during the approach and that the landing was normal. During the landing rollout, the right landing gear collapsed. A witness stated that the landing appeared normal and was not a hard landing. The airplane skidded for about 1,200 to 1,500 ft and veered off the side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Examination of the airplane's landing gear parts that were broken revealed that the fracture features of the end fitting assembly mating adjustment screw, the bellcrank assembly bolt, and the flange were consistent with overstress. Examination of the fracture surfaces of the end fitting bolt revealed that it had separated through a thread root on the end of the bolt; however, the cause of the end fitting bolt separation could not be determined due to smearing and secondary damage of the fracture surface. Because the witness reported that the landing was not a hard landing, it is unlikely that the failure occurred during the accident landing sequence. It is likely that the separation of the end fitting bolt led to the landing gear collapse. ## Factual narrative On March 22, 2018, about 1800 central daylight time, a Cessna 310 airplane, N372WP, sustained substantial damage when the right landing gear collapsed during landing roll at the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), Kansas City, Missouri. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight departed from the Shreveport Downtown Airport, (DTN), Shreveport, Louisiana, with MKC as the destination airport. The pilot reported that the landing gear position lights were all green during the approach and the landing was normal. During landing rollout, the right landing gear collapsed. A witness who observed the landing stated that the landing appeared normal and was not a hard landing. After the landing gear collapsed, the airplane skidded for about 1,200 to 1,500 ft and veered off the side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The airplane's landing gear parts that were broken during the accident were shipped to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory for examination. The parts that were examined included: 1) end fitting bolt with a mating spacer, 2) end fitting assembly with mating adjusting screw, 3) bellcrank assembly bolt with mating nut, and 4) part of a flange. The examination of the fracture surfaces of the end fitting assembly mating adjustment screw, the bellcrank assembly bolt, and the flange revealed that the fracture features were consistent with overstress. The failure mode of the end fitting bolt could not be determined due to smearing and secondary damage to the fracture surface. The examination of the fracture surfaces of the end fitting bolt with a mating spacer revealed that it had separated through a thread root on the end of the bolt. The bolt was bent, which prevented easy removal of the mating spacer and bushing. The fracture surface was approximately flat, but significant smearing and secondary damage obscured the finer features. Two crescent-shaped marks on the fracture surface aligned with mounded material on the sides, which was consistent with impact damage. The exact cause of the end fitting bolt separation could not be determined. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N372WP](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N372WP-2019-08-26), registration cancelled 2019-08-26, S/N 310R0904, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 310R - Registry model: [Cessna 310R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310r) (registry code 2074245) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 310R0904 - Year built: 1977 - Airframe hours: 6362 - Engines: Continental IO-520-MB 285 horsepower reciprocating; Continental IO-520-MB 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: DTN, Shreveport, LA - Destination: MKC, Kansas City, MO - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: MKC, Downtown Air, runway 19, 6,827 × 150 ft, concrete - Equipment: Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 11,987 total, 1,890 in this make and model, 21 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: MKC ## 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 20180322009889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180322009889A), Mar 22, 2018: Cessna 310R, Kansas City, MO, Substantial damage. Pilot departed shreveport, la (dtn) with destination of mkc. During landing on runway 19 at mkc, the aircraft right main landing gear collapsed during rollout.… ## Other investigations on N372WP (1) 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. - [NTSB IAD78DKM20](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD78DKM20), Aug 16, 1978: Cessna 310F (N372WP), Liberty, NC, substantial damage ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96935. 4.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 854 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475551&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Materials Laboratory Factual Report (item 2, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475555&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF - C-310 Landing Gear Illustration (item 3, .PDF, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475552&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=C-310%20Landing%20Gear%20Illustration-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.