MIA94LA187

The pilot attempted to lower his landing gear on approach to the destination airport, but only the nose gear came down. He diverted to his company base airport and attempted all emergency gear lowering procedures with negative results. He landed the airplane with the nose gear down and the mains retracted. Examination of the landing gear system revealed the nose gear door actuator hydraulic line was bent and had failed allowing all hydraulic fluid to vent overboard. Without hydraulic fluid the emergency landing gear procedures will not function. It could not be determined who installed the failed line.

On July 29, 1994, about 1224, eastern daylight time, N761VX, a Cessna 210-M, landed main gear up, nose gear down on runway 25, at Orlando Executive Airport, Orlando, Florida. The flight was operating as Cherokee Air Cargo Express, an on-demand, domestic, cargo, 14 CFR Part 135 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported no injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight had originated from Tampa, Florida, about 2 hours earlier the same day.

The planned destination was Sarasota, Florida. On approach the pilot could not lower the main or nose landing gear. He attempted normal and emergency extension procedures and succeeded in lowering the nose gear only. He contacted company personnel on the radio and diverted to Orlando, Florida, the company base. He tried other procedures suggested by company maintenance personnel and still could not extend the main gears. He landed main gear up and as the tail settled to the runway the wing tip hit the ground and the airplane swerved and the horizontal stabilizer broke. Examination of the gear system by FAA personnel revealed a failed nose gear door actuator hydraulic line. The failure of this line allowed all hydraulic fluid to drain overboard.