- Date
- April 10, 1994, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ocala, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N310JFCessna 310J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940410010599A
- Case key
- 37526
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Failure of the pilot to assure the generators were engaged before flight (failed to follow the checklist).
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During engine start, the pilot failed to turn on the generators. In flight, battery power was depleted, and the pilot manually extended the landing gear, but was unable to get it fully extended. On the landing roll, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane was damaged. The airplane was placed on jacks. Using the airplane's electrical system and landing gear motor, the landing gear operated normally.
Factual narrative
On April 10, 1994, about 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 310J, N310JF, registered to Richard L. Cloninger dba Le Aire, experienced collapse of the left main landing gear on landing at the Ocala Municipal Airport, Ocala, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated from the Gastonia Municipal Airport, Gastonia, North Carolina about 0830.
The pilot stated that he failed to turn on the generators as required by the checklist and about 1 hour into the flight, he discovered that battery power supply had been depleted. The flight continued to the destination and he lowered the landing gear manually. Without electrical system power the landing gear down and locked light did not illuminate. After touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway into grass.
The airplane was placed on jacks and using the airplane's electrical system, the landing gear operationally tested normally using the landing gear motor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N310JF
- Reported as
- Cessna 310J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310J0063
- Airframe hours
- 2,538
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-U, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cloninger, Richard L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 14, 1994 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- 0A6 · Gastonia, NC
- Destination
- OCF
- Airport
- OCF · Ocala Regional/Jim Taylor, runway 18, 6,906 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,286 total · 167 in this make and model · 1,161 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OCF, 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.