Cessna 310C N218S

Summary

On 9 December 1998 at about 23:21 local time, a Cessna 310C registered N218S was involved in an accident near Ft Myers, Florida, 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

9 December 1998 at 23:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Ft Myers, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Paige Field (FMY)

Coordinates

26.5602, -81.8708

Aircraft

Cessna 310C

Registration

N218S

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Spruce Creek → Fort Meyers

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL99LA032

Nobody was injured.

The inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane by the pilot and subsequent malfunction of the nose gear strut, and the pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During his preflight inspection of the airplane the pilot did not notice that the nose gear strut had collapsed and was not fully extended. After takeoff the landing gear retraction was normal. When the pilot arrived at the destination airport, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle, completed the before landing check, but did not confirm cockpit indications of the landing gear position. The airplane touched down with the nose gear in the retracted position. Examination of the landing gear system revealed that the nose gear strut failed to extend in the wheel well and interfered with the right hand nose gear door.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.