# NTSB ERA12IA187: Cessna 402B, N402GZ, Fort Lauderdale, FL, February 16, 2012 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: February 16, 2012, 15:09 local (20:09 UTC) - Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL - Coordinates: 26.0725, -80.152778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.0725&lon=-80.1528&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 5, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 82936 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12IA187 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/82936/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82936 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12IA187 ## Probable cause The overload fracture of the right main landing gear bellcrank and a securing bolt, which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: main landing gear](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 241 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023210/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md) ## Analysis After takeoff, the pilot proceeded toward a nearby airport, but he elected to return to the departure airport because he was unable to establish two-way communications with the air traffic control facility at the destination airport. The pilot extended the landing gear normally and noted three green lights indicating the landing gear was down and locked. After a normal touchdown while applying the brakes, the right wing slowly lowered. Postincident examination of the airplane revealed that the right bellcrank assembly and the bolt that secures the assembly to the landing gear trunnion were fractured. Examination of the fractured parts revealed features consistent with overload separation and no evidence of preexisting cracks or corrosion. The reason for the overload separation was not determined. ## Factual narrative On February 16, 2012, about 1509 eastern standard time, a Cessna 402B, N402GZ, registered to and operated by a private individual, experienced collapse of the right main landing gear during the landing roll at the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal, local flight from FLL. The airplane sustained minor damage and there was no injury to the airline transport pilot or pilot-rated passenger. The flight originated from FLL about 1449. The pilot stated that after takeoff he intended on flying to a nearby airport but had difficulty establishing two-way communications with the facility. He elected to return to the departure airport for a full stop landing. Prior to touchdown he extended the landing gear using the normal method and noted three green lights indicating all landing gears were down and locked. After a normal touchdown while applying the brakes, the right wing slowly lowered. Post incident inspection of the airplane revealed the right bellcrank assembly and bolt that secures the bellcrank assembly to the trunnion were fractured. The fractured parts were retained for further examination. Examination of the fractured bellcrank and bolt was performed by the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory located in Washington, D.C. The results of the examination of the fractured parts revealed features consistent with overload separation and no evidence of preexisting cracks or corrosion. ## Aircraft - Registration: N402GZ (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 402B - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 402B0314 - Airframe hours: 15580 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER 300 horsepower reciprocating; CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Zaidi Gohar - Registered owner: Zaidi Gohar - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 2011 - Departed: FLL, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Destination: FLL, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Airport: FLL, Fort Lauderale/Hollywood Intl, runway 09R, 5,276 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 59; injuries: none; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 1, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 20,000 total, 8,000 in this make and model, 19,500 as pilot in command, 150 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,700 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.11 inHg - Observed at: FLL ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20120216001679I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120216001679I), Feb 16, 2012: Cessna 402B, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Minor damage. On February 16, 2012, at about 1330 local time, [privacy data omitted] (PIC) was flying aircraft N402GZ, a Cessna 402B on a local flight. After landing at Fort… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=82936. 4.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 539 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375560&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Materials Laboratory 15 - Factual Report 12-051 (2 images) (item 2, .PDF, 639 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40367357&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%2015%20-%20Factual%20Report%2012-051%20(2%20images)-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 3, .PDF, 480 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375561&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Excerpts from Illustrated Parts Catalog (item 4, .PDF, 118 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40375565&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20from%20Illustrated%20Parts%20Catalog-Master.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 5, .PDF, 755 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378601&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. View Depicting the Fractured Bellcrank of the Right Main Landing Gear (item 6, .PDF, 978 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378637&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%3A%20Digital%20Photograph%20Provided%20by%20FAA.%20View%20Depicting%20the%20Fractured%20Bellcrank%20of%20the%20Right%20Main%20Landing%20Gear-Master.PDF - Photo 2: Digital Photograph Provided by FAA. View Depicting the Fractured Bolt Sections (item 7, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40378639&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%3A%20Digital%20Photograph%20Provided%20by%20FAA.%20View%20Depicting%20the%20Fractured%20Bolt%20Sections-Master.PDF 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.