# NTSB LAX95IA011: Cessna 402, N402SW, Grand Canyon, AZ, October 18, 1994 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: October 17, 1994, 17:42 local (Oct 18, 1994, 00:42 UTC) - Place: Grand Canyon, AZ - Coordinates: 36.029365, -112.019302 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0294&lon=-112.0193&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 9 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 13, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 28949 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX95IA011 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/28949/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95IA011 ## Probable cause the fracture and failure of the left main landing gear bellcrank which jammed the landing gear in the retracted position. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Wheels up landing, landing - flare/touchdown - landing gear,normal retraction/extension assembly - fractured (cause) - landing gear,main gear - jammed (cause) - gear extension - not possible, pilot in command ## Analysis THE AIRCRAFT LANDED GEAR UP AND VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY. A BELLCRANK IN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS FOUND FRACTURED, JAMMING THE LANDING GEAR IN THE UP POSITION AFTER TAKEOFF. THE LAST MAINTENANCE INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR SYSTEM WAS A 200-HOUR INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED ABOUT 71.1 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE INCIDENT. ## Factual narrative On October 17, 1994, at 1742 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 402, N402SW, landed gear up and veered off runway 3 at the Grand Canyon Airport, Grand Canyon, Arizona. The airplane was being operated as a sightseeing flight under 14 CFR Part 135 when the incident occurred. The airplane sustained minor damage. The certificated commercial pilot and eight passengers were not injured. One passenger received minor injuries. The flight originated in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1500 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors, a bellcrank in the left main landing gear system fractured, jamming the landing gear in the up position. After getting a gear not safe indication, the pilot orbited the airport about 90 minutes to burn fuel before landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered left and came to rest about 50 feet east of runway 3 at midfield. The last maintenance inspection of the landing gear system was a 200-hour inspection accomplished on September 20, 1994, about 71.1 flight hours before the accident. At the time of the inspection, there were no discrepancies noted with the bellcrank. An examination of the landing gear by the pilot during his preflight walk-around check of the airplane is a checklist item contained in the aircraft manual. Review of Service Difficulty Reports (SDRs) for Cessna 402A airplanes revealed two previous left main landing gear malfunctions as a result of broken bellcranks. The submitters of the two SDRs both recommended increasing the inspection criteria of the bellcrank. As a result of this incident, Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revised the operator's maintenance program by requiring the landing gear system be inspected every 50 hours of aircraft operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N402SW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N402SW-2014-12-03), registration cancelled 2014-12-03, S/N 402-0036, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 402 - Registry model: [Cessna 402](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-402) (registry code 207590K) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental GTSIO-520-C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsio-520-c) (registry code 17035, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 402-0036 - Airframe hours: 7917 - Engines: CONTINENTAL TSIO-520E 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: King Airlines, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, September 20, 1994, 71 hours before - Departed: L15, LAS VEGAS, NV - Destination: GCN - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: GCN, Grand Canyon Nat'L Park, runway 3, 8,999 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 23; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 1,460 total, 640 in this make and model, 253 in the last 90 days, 65 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 50 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 39 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: GCN ## 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 19941017035099I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941017035099I), Oct 17, 1994: Cessna 402CESSNA, Grand Canyon, AZ, Minor damage. During landing downlock bellcrank on left main landing gear broke causing entire landing gear system to lock up. 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.