# NTSB FTW95LA051: Cessna P210N, N731QH, Alamosa, CO, November 17, 1994

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: November 17, 1994, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place: Alamosa, CO
- Coordinates: 37.460582, -105.870422 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4606&lon=-105.8704&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 9, 1995
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 19309
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW95LA051
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19309/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW95LA051

## Probable cause

FAILURE BY THE PILOT TO PROPERLY JUDGE THE TOUCH DOWN POINT. FACTORS WERE: FAILURE OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO EXTEND AND ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Gear not extended, approach - vfr pattern - final approach
  - landing gear,nose gear - jammed (contributing factor)
- Undershoot, landing
  - terrain condition - rough/uneven (contributing factor)
  - proper touchdown point - misjudged, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

ON RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT, FOLLOWING A POST MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WOULD NOT EXTEND.  THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO A DIRT RUNWAY, WHICH GAVE HIM THE BEST WIND. HE SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE ON SHORT FINAL AND HIS GLIDE FAILED TO REACH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN ROUGH AND UNEVEN TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWNLOCK SPRING FAILED JAMMING THE NOSE GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION.

## Factual narrative

On November 17, 1994, at 1100 mountain standard time, a Cessna P210N, N731QH, sustained substantial damage on landing at Alamosa, Colorado.  The pilot was not injured and no flight plan was filed for this local post maintenance test flight.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

According to the pilot, and FAA airworthiness inspector, who examined the aircraft and interviewed the pilot, when the pilot lowered the landing gear during approach following an engine maintenance test flight, the nose gear did not extend.  After several attempts to extend the nose gear, the pilot performed a precautionary approach and landing to a dirt runway.  On short final he shut off the fuel and the engine ceased to operate.  The aircraft landed approximately 50 feet short of the runway in rough terrain.

The airport at Alamosa, where the aircraft landed, has both dirt and asphalt runways.  The pilot elected to use the dirt runway (24) due to the wind which was 240 degrees at 22 knots with gusts to 25 knots.

Examination of the aircraft revealed that nose landing gear down lock spring failed and jammed the nose gear in the up position.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N731QH](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N731QH), registered now, S/N P21000526, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA P210N
- Registry model: [Cessna P210N](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-p210n) (registry code 2073454) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (registry code 17040, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: P21000526
- Airframe hours: 2471
- Engines: CONTINENTAL TSIO-520-P 310 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Part 91
- Registered owner: Spud Seller, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, April 11, 1994, 52 hours before
- Departed: ALS
- Destination: ALS, CO
- Airport: ALS, San Luis Valley Regional, runway 24, 3,000 × 60 ft, dirt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 2,135 total, 561 in this make and model, 2,078 as pilot in command, 32 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 240° at 22 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: ALS, 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19941117038389A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941117038389A), Nov 17, 1994: Cessna P210N, Alamosa, CO, Substantial damage. Maintenance test flight. Unable gear extend. Shutdown engine too early for gear up landing. Downlock spring failed.

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.