Cessna 650 N777LF

Summary

On 24 January 1997 at about 20:21 local time, a Cessna 650 registered N777LF was involved in an accident near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States. 3 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

24 January 1997 at 20:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP)

Coordinates

41.2405, -75.8905

Aircraft

Cessna 650

Registration

N777LF

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Washington → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC97LA047

Nobody was injured.

The collapse of the left main landing gear as a result of the malfunction of the downlock actuator for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The Cessna Citation III had completed a passenger pickup and was on the return leg to the departure airport. The airplane was established on the ILS approach to runway 04, and the pilot held about a 20 degree right wind drift correction to maintain the airplane on the localizer course. The landing checks were completed and three green landing gear indicator lights were observed. The airplane touched down in the first 1,000 feet of the runway, bounced, and touched down about 300 to 400 feet further down the runway. About 500 feet after the second touchdown, the left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane was stopped on the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact failures. Examination of the main landing gear actuator revealed the end of the piston was severed at the rod end attachment point and bent at an angle of approximately 20 degrees. The airplane's maximum demonstrated landing crosswind component was 25 knots. Winds reported at the airport were from 120 degrees at 25 knots. The pilot's total accumulated flight experience was 7,120 hours, with 52 hours in make and model, of which 3 hours were in the preceding 30 days.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.