# NTSB DEN08LA021: Cessna T210K, N8251M, Los Alamos, NM, October 28, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 28, 2007, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Los Alamos, NM - Coordinates: 35.874443, -106.268058 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8744&lon=-106.2681&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - Albuquerque FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 67001 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN08LA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/67001/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN08LA021 ## Probable cause The binding of the nose landing gear doors for undetermined reasons, resulting in the pilot having to make a nose gear up landing. ## Analysis According to the pilot's statement, during his approach to Los Alamos, he attempted to extend the landing gear. During the gear extension, the pilot noted that "something did not sound right, and [I] did not get a gear down indication in the cockpit." The pilot cycled the landing gear approximately "10 to 15 times in various speeds, power settings, g-loads, and attitudes" with no result. The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear manually, again with no result. The pilot then decided to fly the airplane to the airport in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has a control tower, and have the tower controllers visually verify that the landing gear was down. The tower controller at Santa Fe advised the pilot that the airplane's nose landing gear was not extended and the nose gear doors were closed. After several more unsuccessful attempts to troubleshoot the problem, the pilot returned to Los Alamos and landed the airplane with the nose gear retracted, resulting in substantial damage. The airplane was examined and the landing gear was operated by a FAA inspector. During the first gear extension the nose landing gear unlocked, but the nose landing gear doors did not open. A mechanic pushed lightly on the gear doors and they came open, and the nose landing gear came down and locked. Subsequent cycles of the landing gear could not duplicate the problem. ## Factual narrative On October 28, 2007, approximately 1730 mountain daylight time, N8251M, a Cessna T210K, sustained substantial damage during landing with the nose gear retracted at Los Alamos Airport, Los Alamos, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The business flight was being conducted on an instrument flight rules flight plan under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight originated at Carlsbad, New Mexico, at 1430, and was destined for Los Alamos. According to the pilot's statement, during his approach to Los Alamos, he attempted to extend the landing gear. During the gear extension, the pilot noted that "something did not sound right, and [I] did not get a gear down indication in the cockpit." The pilot cycled the landing gear approximately "10 to 15 times in various speeds, power settings, g-loads, and attitudes" with no result. The pilot attempted to extend the landing gear manually, again with no result. The pilot then decided to fly the airplane to the airport in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has a control tower, and have the tower controllers visually verify that the landing gear was down. The tower controller at Santa Fe advised the pilot that the airplane's nose landing gear was not extended and the nose gear doors were closed. After several more unsuccessful attempts to troubleshoot the problem, the pilot returned to Los Alamos and landed the airplane with the nose gear retracted. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and a mechanic examined the aircraft and, during the examination, operated the landing gear. The inspector stated that the nose landing gear doors were closed, the nose landing gear was retracted, and the main landing gear was extended at the start of the examination. Maintenance personnel placed the airplane on support jacks and applied hydraulic power to the landing gear system. The landing gear handle was selected to the up position and all three landing gear came up and locked. When the landing gear handle was selected to the down position, the main landing gear came down and locked. The nose landing gear unlocked, the nose landing gear doors did not open and the nose landing gear rested on the doors. The mechanic pushed lightly on the gear doors, they opened and the nose landing gear came down and locked. The inspector noted that there was a wear mark on the area where the nose landing gear door guide tabs came together, but there was no other evidence of wear or binding. Several operations of the landing gear followed, and the landing gear operated normally without binding. Examination of the aircraft revealed the lower nose keel angles and doublers were abraded. The FAA inspector also reported that the airplane was equipped with a modification that removes the hydraulic actuators from the nose landing gear doors and replaces them with a mechanism that closes the doors when the nose landing gear strut pushes against a roller as it reaches the up-and-locked position. A review of the maintenance records revealed an annual inspection was performed on October 3, 2007. As part of the inspection, the nose gear door roller was repaired. The reason for the failure of the nose landing gear could not be determined. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, approach - landing gear,nose gear - binding(mechanical) (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - runway ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8251M](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8251M-2021-07-30), registration cancelled 2021-07-30, S/N 21059251, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna T210K - Registry model: [Cessna T210K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t210k) (registry code 2073447) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 59251 - Airframe hours: 5646 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520H 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: John R. Heineman - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 2007, 12 hours before - Departed: CNM, Carlsbad, NM - Destination: LAM, Los Alamos, NM - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: LAM, Los Alamos Airport, runway 27, 5,550 × 113 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 51; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 1, 2007; seat: left; flight hours: 3,360 total, 2,263 in this make and model, 3,214 as pilot in command, 22 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.53 inHg - Observed at: KLAM ## 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 20071028824319A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20071028824319A), Oct 28, 2007: Cessna T210K, Los Alamos, NM, Substantial damage. (-23) On October 28, 2007, at 1750 MDT, N8251M, a Cessna CE-210-T210K registered to the pilot, landed with the nose landing gear up and the main landing gear… ## Other investigations on N8251M (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 WPR21LA028](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR21LA028), Oct 24, 2020: Cessna T210K (N8251M), Los Alamos, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to extend the landing gear, which resulted in the airplane landing with the landing gear retracted. 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.