# NTSB DFW05CA062: Cessna 310-J, N3138L, Crosbyton, TX, January 28, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: January 28, 2005, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC) - Place: Crosbyton, TX - Coordinates: 33.623889, -101.240837 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6239&lon=-101.2408&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 30, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: lubbock - NTSB case key (mKey): 60906 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW05CA062 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60906/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW05CA062 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control, and his inadequate flare which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention to the open cabin door. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - diverted attention, pilot in command (contributing factor) - door,exterior crew - open (contributing factor) - landing gear,gear locking mechanism - unlocked - Gear collapsed, landing - roll - landing gear,gear locking mechanism - unlocked ## Analysis A twin-engine airplane made a hard landing followed by a loss of control while attempting to land. The 830-hour private pilot lost control of the twin-engine airplane while attempting to land following a cabin door opening just after take-off. After the door opened, the pilot elected to land and secure the door; however, the pilot could not achieve a safe landing gear indication. The pilot then elected to fly to his home field where additional help would be available. After becoming fatigued while holding the cabin door closed, the pilot declared an emergency and received vectors to the nearest runway. On short final, the pilot let go of the door and the airplane banked to the right, striking the runway with the right wing. The airplane then landed hard collapsing the gear. ## Factual narrative On January 28, 2005, at 1700 central standard time, a Cessna 310J twin-engine airplane, N3138L, was substantially damaged when the landing gear collapsed after touchdown at the Crosbyton Municipal Airport (8F3) near Crosbyton, Texas. The instrument rated private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Kent County Municipal Airport (22F) around 1615 with an intended destination of Lubbock, Texas. The 830-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that the main cabin door opened just after takeoff. He then decided to return to 22F, land and secure the door. After extending the landing gear, he checked the landing gear position lights for agreement. The lights indicated that the gear was not extended and locked down. The pilot aborted the attempt to land at 22F and decided to continue onto Lubbock where more assistance would be available. En-route to Lubbock, the pilot was attempting to hold the cabin door closed and address the gear problem as well. His right arm became fatigued, and he then decided to declare an emergency. Lubbock approach control vectored the airplane to the nearest airport at Crosbyton, Texas, approximately seventeen miles away. En-route to Crosbyton, he attempted to manually extend the gear using the emergency gear extension crank. Allthough he believed the gear was extended, he still failed to achieve a safe gear indication. Upon arrival at 8F3, the pilot set up for a landing on runway 35. Just before touchdown, the pilot released his grip on the cabin door. The door swung almost fully open. The airplane rolled to the right, striking the right wing-tip on the pavement. The pilot corrected to the left, and impacted the runway hard, collapsing the landing gear. The airplane slid off the runway to the left, coming to rest in a field adjacent to the runway. According to an FAA inspector, who examined the airplane at the accident location, the airplane sustained damage to the landing gear, landing gear doors, belly skin and both propellers. The right engine mounts sustained structural damage. The right fuel tank was also ruptured. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3138L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3138L-2008-01-22), registration cancelled 2008-01-22, S/N 310J0138, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 310-J - Registry model: [Cessna 310J](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310j) (registry code 2074226) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 310J0138 - Engines: Continental IO-470 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 22F, Jayton, TX - Destination: LBB, Lubbock, TX - Airport: 8F3, Crosbyton Municipal, runway 35, 3,600 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 50; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review August 1, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 831 total, 179 in this make and model, 700 as pilot in command, 41 in the last 90 days, 16 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 360° at 11 knots, gusting 18 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 55 °F, dew point 41 °F - Altimeter: 29.94 inHg - Observed at: KLBB, 22 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050128000519A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050128000519A), Jan 28, 2005: Cessna 310J, Crosbyton, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On January 28, 2005, at approximately 1630 CST, the pilot and sole occupant departed from kent county municipal airport (22F). Upon retraction of the… 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.