- Date
- February 8, 1996, 17:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2201FCessna 310L
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 22, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960208001459A
- Case key
- 37979
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
an overstress failure of the left main gear side brace lock end fitting for undetermined reasons.
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 the landing roll, at about 40 knots, the left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear showed that the side brace lock end fitting had failed allowing the gear to collapse. Metallurgical examination of the end fitting showed it failed due to overstress.
Factual narrative
On February 8, 1996, about 1720 central standard time, a Cessna 310L, N2201F, registered to Air Carriers Inc., experienced collapse of the left main landing gear during landing roll at the Auburn Opelika Airport, Auburn, Alabama, while on a 14 CFR Part 135 air taxi flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight had originated from Jacksonville, Florida, the same day about 1545.
The pilot stated that during landing on runway 18, the aircraft was rolling on all three landing gear and had slowed to 40 knots when the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing tip tank struck the runway and the aircraft rotated around 160 degrees from runway heading, where it came to rest.
Postcrash examination of the aircraft was performed by FAA inspectors and company maintenance personnel. The left main gear side brace lock end fitting had failed, allowing the gear to collapse. Metallurgical examination of the failed end fitting was performed by the NTSB Material Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The end fitting failed due to overstress. See attached NTSB Metallurgist's Factual Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2201F
- Reported as
- Cessna 310L
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310L0001
- Airframe hours
- 6,555
- Engine
- Continental IO-420-VO, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Air Carriers Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 6, 1996 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- CRG · Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- AUO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AUO · Auburn-Opelika, runway 18, 3,933 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,765 total · 465 in this make and model · 2,587 as pilot in command · 226 in the last 90 days · 78 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AUO, 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.