- Date
- June 15, 2020, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Butte, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N87395Cessna 310
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200615006189A
- Case key
- 101452
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
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a fence post during final approach which resulted in a damage to the left main landing gear, and its subsequent collapse during landing.
Findings · 4
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
While on final approach to land, about 150 ft above the ground, the pilot maneuvered and descended the airplane away from a bird. The pilot then realized that he was on a lower approach path to the runway after he observed an airport perimeter fence, but felt that he could still perform a safe landing and increased engine power to continue the approach. The airplane’s left main landing gear then struck a fence post and the pilot initiated a go-around to return to the departure airport. After unsuccessful attempts to verify the left main landing gear was extended and locked, he initiated a landing with full flaps and in a right-wing low attitude. As the airplane touched down, the left main landing gear collapsed, the airplane veered left, exited the runway, and the left wing struck a runway sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87395
- Reported as
- Cessna 310 (R)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R0543
- Built
- 1975
- Engines
- Continental IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Angle Of Attack Aeronautics LLC
- Registered owner
- Angle Of Attack Aeronautics LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7S1 · Twin Bridges, MT
- Destination
- BTM · Butte, MT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- BTM · Bert Mooney, runway 33, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KBTM, 1 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 10, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 360 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.