- Date
- March 19, 2002, 13:55 local (20:55 UTC)
- Place
- Provo, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5381ACessna 310B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20020319005309A
- Case key
- 54434
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
Failure of the nose landing gear retraction/extension assembly for an undetermined reason, which resulted in collapse of the nose landing gear on landing.
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
According to the instructor, the landing gear failed to fully retract after takeoff. He stated that after lift-off, and with "no more usable runway," we "retracted the landing gear, looking for a green light gear indicator." The light did not come on. He looked outside at the mirror on the left main tank and identified the "gear malfunction." They continued the local flight to burn off excess fuel and then made a precautionary landing at Provo. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right forward nose landing gear well former (keel beam) assemblies. The manufacturer states that the Cessna 310B, is equipped with a landing gear position light system. Two landing gear position lights are provided, one above and one below the landing gear switch. The "upper light is red, and is on at all times when the gear is retracted." The "lower light is green, and illuminates only when the landing gear is fully extended and locked." If the landing gear is not fully extended and locked, the green light will not illuminate, and if neither light is on, the landing gear is in an intermediate position.
Factual narrative
On March 19, 2002, at approximately 1355 mountain standard time, a Cessna 310B, N5381A, was substantially damaged when its nose landing gear collapsed during landing roll at Provo Municipal Airport (PVU), Provo, Utah. The airline transport instructor pilot and commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this local training flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1130.
According to the instructor, the landing gear failed to fully retract after takeoff. He stated that after lift-off, and with "no more usable runway," we "retracted the landing gear, looking for a green light gear indicator." The light did not come on. He looked outside at the mirror on the left main tank and identified the "gear malfunction." They continued the local flight to burn off excess fuel and then made a precautionary landing at Provo. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right forward nose landing gear well former (keel beam) assemblies.
According to the manufacturer, the Cessna 310B, is equipped with a landing gear position light system. Two landing gear position lights are provided, one above and one below the landing gear switch. The "upper light is red, and is on at all times when the gear is retracted." The "lower light is green, and illuminates only when the landing gear is fully extended and locked." If the landing gear is not fully extended and locked, the green light will not illuminate, and if neither light is on, the landing gear is in an intermediate position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5381A
- Reported as
- Cessna 310B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 35581
- Airframe hours
- 4,538.3
- Engines
- Continental O-470-M, 240 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental O-470-M, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Twin C Enterprises, L.L.C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 21, 2001 · 98.8 hours before
- Departed
- PVU · Provo, UT
- Destination
- PVU · Provo, UT
- Airport
- PVU · Provo Municipal, runway 18, 6,937 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 13, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,100 total · 50 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,042 total · 324 in this make and model · 881 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.