# NTSB CHI01LA079: Cessna 310R, N4249C, Cahokia, IL, February 2, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 2, 2001, 16:08 local (22:08 UTC) - Place: Cahokia, IL - Coordinates: 38.570663, -90.169616 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.5707&lon=-90.1696&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 21, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - St. Louis FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 51707 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI01LA079 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51707/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI01LA079 ## Probable cause The collapse of the left main landing gear during landing roll for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) ## Analysis The left landing gear collapsed during landing. The airplane and its landing gear system were inspected and no anomalies were found that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. All fractured portions of the landing gear system had signatures consistent with overload failure. The airplane's left main landing gear collapsed on two prior occasions. The first was on June 27, 1998, and the cause of the gear collapse was undetermined. The second occurrence was on May 15, 2000, and was attributed to the failure of a through-bolt in the gear retraction linkage. The accident flight was the second flight since the maintenance release for the damages that were incurred during the May 15, 2000, accident. The first flight was a maintenance test flight and no anomalies were noted during the flight. ## Factual narrative On February 2, 2001, at 1608 central standard time, a Cessna 310R, N4249C, piloted by a certified flight instructor (CFI), sustained substantial damage when the landing gear collapsed while landing on runway 12R (6,997 feet by 100 feet, dry/asphalt) at the St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS), Cahokia, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The instructional flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot and the dual student were not injured. The local flight departed CPS at 1530 and was returning to CPS at the time of the accident. According to the CFI's written statement, after completing training maneuvers in the practice area the CFI decided to return to CPS and conduct touch-and-go landings. The CFI reported that when they extended the landing gear the three green landing gear position lights illuminated. The CFI stated that they attempted a normal landing and, "Upon touch down the aircraft continued to sink on the left side indicating a problem." The CFI reported that the dual student aborted the landing and they departed the traffic pattern in order to assess the problem. The CFI stated that he cycled the landing gear and the three green landing gear position lights illuminated when the landing gear were extended. The CFI reported that he performed a fly-by past the control tower and the air traffic control (ATC) personnel indicated that all three landing gear were extended. The CFI stated that he attempted another landing and the airplane continued to drop on the left side subsequent to the touchdown. The CFI reported that he aborted the landing and made the decision to attempt a gear-up landing on the next landing attempt. The CFI stated that on the next landing approach the decision was made to go-around and during the go-around the ATC personnel informed him that his left landing gear was "[hanging] by itself". The CFI reported that he then decided to attempt a landing with the landing gear extended. The CFI stated that, "Upon touch down the left gear collapsed as it did the other two times I tried to keep [the airplane] on the right gear as long as possible. As we slowed the left wing and prop touched the ground and pulled us off the left side of [runway] 12R hitting a runway light." A representative of the Federal Aviation Administration performed a post-accident inspection of the airplane and its landing gear system. No anomalies were found with the landing gear system that could be associated with a pre-impact condition. All fractured portions of the landing gear system had signatures consistent with overload failure. The accident airplane was involved with two previous occurrences in which the left landing gear had collapsed. The first was on June 27, 1998, and the cause of the gear collapse was undetermined. The second occurrence was on May 15, 2000, and was attributed to the failure of a through-bolt in the gear retraction linkage. The accident flight was the second flight since the maintenance release for the damages that were incurred during the May 15, 2000, accident. The first flight was a maintenance test flight and no anomalies were noted during the flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4249C](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4249C-2006-11-02), registration cancelled 2006-11-02, S/N 310R1380, built 1978 (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: R1380 - Airframe hours: 7019.6 - Engines: Continental IO-520-M 285 horsepower reciprocating; Continental IO-520-M 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Parks College of Saint Louis University - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, January 25, 2001, 2.3 hours before - Departed: CPS, Cahokia, IL - Destination: CPS, Cahokia, IL - Airport: CPS, St. Louis Downtown Airport, runway 12R, 6,997 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 24; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review March 31, 2000; seat: right; flight hours: 1,356 total, 15 in this make and model, 1,271 as pilot in command, 55 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 24; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review November 21, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 230 total, 0 in this make and model, 155 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 0 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 21 °F, dew point 1 °F - Altimeter: 30.37 inHg - Observed at: CPS ## 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 20010202004319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010202004319A), Feb 2, 2001: Cessna 310R, Cahokia, IL, No damage. (-23)On February 2, 2001, Mr. Terek schultz (PIC instructor) and Mr. Brian moore (SIC, student) were flying an initial twin engine training flight for Mr.… ## Other investigations on N4249C (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 CHI98LA282](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA282), Jun 27, 1998: Cessna 310R (N4249C), Cahokia, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collapse of the left main landing gear during landing roll for undetermined reasons. 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.