# NTSB MIA94IA183: Cessna 402C, N318AB, St. Petersburg, FL, July 24, 1994 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: July 24, 1994, 17:48 local (21:48 UTC) - Place: St. Petersburg, FL - Location: 27.9086° N, 82.6865° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ST PETE-CLEARWATER INTL (PIE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9086&lon=-82.6865&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 25, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 37442 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA94IA183 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/37442/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA94IA183 ## Probable cause COLLAPSE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING THE LANDING ROLL FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Main gear collapsed, landing - roll - landing gear - undetermined (cause) ## Analysis AFTER TOUCHDOWN DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE ACTUATOR AND MICROSWITCH WERE TESTED AND NO FAILURE WAS NOTED WITH EITHER COMPONENT. SEVERAL DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE ACTUATOR. THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE ACTUATOR COULD NOT BE POSITIVELY DETERMINED. THE ACTUATOR WAS BELIEVED TO BE OVERHAULED IN JULY 1992 AND INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE 1 MONTH LATER. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE COLLAPSE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. ## Factual narrative On July 24, 1994, about 1748 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 402C, N318AB, registered to Tropical Transport Services, Ltd., operated by Air Sunshine, Inc., experienced collapse of the right main landing gear during the landing roll at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport, St. Petersburg, Florida. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a positioning flight and the operator is a certificated commuter air carrier operating under 14 CFR Part 135. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained minor damage and the airline transport-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport, about 1735. The pilot stated that he extended the landing gear selector handle when the flight was on a 8-mile final for a straight in approach and three green lights were illuminated indicating that the gear was down and locked. After a normal touchdown during the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and came to rest on grass. A representative of the operator presented to the NTSB a landing gear actuator which was reportedly from the right main landing gear of the incident airplane. The actuator did not have a data plate nor were any markings observed. The representative first stated that the serial number of the actuator was 3767 but it was determined later by the manufacturer's facility that the suspect actuator was not serial number 3767. An actuator, serial number 3368A had been overhauled on July 30, 1992, and according to the director of maintenance for the operator, was installed on the airplane on August 30, 1992. Review of the aircraft maintenance log entry for this date does not indicate replacement of the right main landing gear actuator. Examination and operational testing of the suspect actuator at a facility of the manufacturer revealed no evidence of failure however several discrepancies were noted. The micro switch was removed for further examination which revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction. The actuator was released to the FAA on October 28, 1994. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N318AB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N318AB-1997-11-19), registration cancelled 1997-11-19, S/N 402C0318 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 402C - Registry model: [Cessna 402C](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-402c) (registry code 207590R) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 402C0318 - Airframe hours: 13816 - Engines: CONTINENTAL TSIO-520-VB 325 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Operator: Air Sunshine, Inc. - Registered owner: Tropical Transport Svcs, Ltd. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal - Last inspection: AAIP, July 9, 1994, 46 hours before - Departed: SRQ, SARASOTA, FL - Flight plan: Company VFR - Airport: PIE, St Petersburg-Clearwater, runway 35R, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 36; airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 7,800 total, 4,500 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 7 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,000 ft broken - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: PIE, 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). - [Incident 19940724031699I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940724031699I), Jul 24, 1994: Cessna 402C, St Petersburg-C, FL, Minor damage. Narrative: aircraft was crosswind on final approach for runway 35R at st. Petersburg/Clearwater airport. After an uneventful touch down and during rollout the… ## Other investigations on N318AB (1) 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. - [NTSB MIA97FA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97FA082), Feb 8, 1997: Cessna 402C (N318AB), St. Thomas, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain altitude while making a visual approach at night over water in black hole conditions resulting in the aircraft descending and crashing into the sea. Contributing… 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.