# NTSB MIA86IA022: Cessna 402B, N98685, St. Thomas, October 28, 1985

- Type: NTSB incident investigation
- Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report
- Date: October 28, 1985, 10:25 local (14:25 UTC)
- Place: St. Thomas
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 8 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 31519
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA86IA022
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/31519/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA86IA022

## Sequence of events

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

- Main gear collapsed, taxi - from landing
  - landing gear,main gear attachment - failure,total (cause)
  - landing gear,main gear attachment - undetermined (cause)

## Analysis

AFTER LANDING THE PILOT MADE A 270 DEGREE LEFT TURN TO ENTERA TAXIWAY. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE TURN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BEGAN TO WOBBLE AND THEN COLLAPSED OUTWARDINSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT OF SIX BOLTS WHICH ATTACH THE LEFT GEAR SUPPORT BRACKET TO THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FIVE WERE MISSING AND THE REMAINING BOLT HAD PULLED LOOSE FROM THE STRUCTURE.  THE BOLTS THAT WEAR MISSING WERE NOT RECOVERED.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N98685 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 402B
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 401B1048
- Airframe hours: 6548
- Engines: CONTINENTAL TSIO520 E 300 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Minor damage
- Flight: Part 135
- Operator: C And M Airlines, doing business as Apr Air
- Registered owner: Bill T. Spero
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, April 9, 1985, 63 hours before
- Departed: SIG, SAN JUAN, PR
- Destination: STT, ST. THOMAS
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: STT, Harry S. Truman, runway 9, 5,358 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 40; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 4,951 total, 31 in this make and model, 4,800 as pilot in command, 31 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: STT

## 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 19851028076179I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851028076179I), Oct 28, 1985: Cessna 402B, Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Minor damage. During turn off runway after landing, left main gear collapsed. Found 5 attach bolts missing and I broken bolt.

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.

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