Cessna 421C N45MV

Summary

On 6 February 1997 at about 04:16 local time, a Cessna 421C registered N45MV was involved in an accident near Cedar City, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 February 1997 at 04:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Cedar City, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Cedar City Municipal (CDC)

Coordinates

37.3903, -113.6309

Aircraft

Cessna 421C

Registration

N45MV

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA97LA058

Nobody was injured.

water contamination in the hydraulic system, which froze in the (right) main gear hydraulic actuator, and restricted movement of the (right) main gear retraction and extension system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was on a night instrument approach in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). When he put the gear handle down, the nose gear extended, but neither of the mains indicated down-and-locked. He recycled the gear a number of times, but still did not get a down indication of the main gear. The pilot then used the emergency blow-down gear extension system, but only the nose gear & left main indicated down. Since the gear could not be retracted once the blow-down system was used, & since severe weather was present, the pilot elected to continue the approach & land with the right main gear not fully extended. As the aircraft slowed during the landing roll, the right wing contacted the runway, & the aircraft began to slide sideways. While the aircraft was sliding, the nose gear and left main gear collapsed, and the right gear, which had come partially out of the wheel well, was torn from the wing. Postaccident inspection of the landing gear extension & retraction system revealed that hydraulic fluid in the right main gear actuator contained 30% water by volume. The surface temperature near the time of the landing was 23 degrees Fahrenheit, & the aircraft had been at altitude for over an hour before the approach. There was evidence that while en route, water in the actuator had frozen, & ice had kept the actuator from functioning properly when the pilot attempted to extend the gear. How or when the hydraulic system of the 19 year old aircraft had been contaminated was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.