- Date
- June 26, 2016, 10:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Schafer Meadows, MT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N455TBCessna 310R
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 93921
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
A loss of directional control while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and landing gear collapse for reasons that could not be determined.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that, during landing on an uphill runway, the airplane touched down, veered slightly to the side, and then veered the other direction and back. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, the landing gear collapsed, and the stabilizer and elevator were substantially damaged. During postaccident examination, the left landing gear upper trunnion was found fracture separated. The investigation could not determine whether the upper trunnion fracture separation caused the airplane to veer from one direction to the other or whether the trunnion was fractured due to the landing gear collapsing.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 2016, about 1000 mountain standard time, a Cessna 310R airplane, N455TB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Schafer USFS Airport (8U2), Schafer Meadows, Montana. The pilot and three passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, during landing on an uphill runway, the airplane touched down, veered slightly to the side, and then to the other direction and back. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, the landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then came to rest about 50 ft from the runway. Postaccident examination revealed that the stabilizer and elevator were substantially damaged. The left landing gear upper trunnion was found fracture separated.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N455TB
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R1860
- Built
- 1980
- Engines
- Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER, reciprocatingCont Motor TSIO-520 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith Loren
- Registered owner
- Smith Loren
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GTF · Great Falls, MT
- Destination
- 8U2 · Schafer Meadows, MT
- Airport
- 8U2 · Schafer USFS Airport, runway 7, 3,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- GPI, 43 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 1, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
Other investigations on N455TB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.