- Date
- May 25, 1998, 12:01 local (17:01 UTC)
- Place
- Wheeling, IL
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N333WDCessna 310L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980525010659A
- Case key
- 10891
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 collapse of the left main landing gear for undetermined reasons.
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.
Analysis
The instructor stated that the dual student had flown the instrument approach and had relinquished the controls to him for the landing on runway 30R. The instructor stated that a normal landing was made and the aircraft rolled approximately 1,500' to 2,000' when the left landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the aircraft slid to the left, came to rest, and everyone evacuated the aircraft. Post crash investigation showed that the bellcrank assembly, of the left main landing gear, was sheared at both connection points of the strut assembly. No signs of stress, corrosion, or previous damage.
Factual narrative
On May 25, 1998, at 1201 central daylight time, a Cessna 310L, N333WD, was substantially damaged when the left main gear collapsed during a landing roll on runway 30R (4397' x 50', dry, asphalt) at the Palwaukee Municipal Airport, Wheeling, Illinois. The airline transport pilot, private pilot rated student, and three passengers reported no injuries. The instructional 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. A VFR flight plan was on file. The flight departed from Muskegon County Airport, Muskegon, Michigan, at 1115.
According to the instructor's written statement, the dual student had flown the instrument approach and had relinquished the controls to him for the landing on runway 30R. The instructor stated that a normal landing was made and the aircraft rolled approximately 1,500' to 2,000' when the left landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that the aircraft slid to the left, came to rest, and everyone evacuated the aircraft.
An Air Traffic Controller at the Palwaukee Air Traffic Control tower reported that the landing appeared normal and the airplane traveled approximately 2,000' down the runway prior to the gear collapsing.
Post crash investigation showed that the bellcrank assembly was sheared at both connection points of the strut assembly for the left main gear. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector stated, in a written report, that the fracture of the bellcrank assembly was clean, with no signs of stress, corrosion or previous damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333WD
- Reported as
- Cessna 310L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310-002
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Crash In Airport Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 1997
- Departed
- MKG · Muskegon, MI
- Destination
- PWK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PWK · Palwaukee Municipal, runway 30, 3,615 × 50 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
- 60
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 19,000 total · 1,650 in this make and model · 19,000 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PWK, 1 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.