Cessna 310C N1755H

Summary

On 9 January 2011 at about 15:51 local time, a Cessna 310C registered N1755H, operated by Bush John L, was involved in an accident near Lancaster, California, United States. One person was 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 January 2011 at 15:51

Classification

Accident

Location

Lancaster, California, United States

Nearest airport

General Wm J Fox Airfield (KWJF)

Coordinates

34.7408, -118.2186

Aircraft

Cessna 310C

Registration

N1755H

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Bush John L

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Barstow-Daggett → Lancaster

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA092

Nobody was injured.

The pilot did not maintain an appropriate descent profile during the approach. Contributing to the accident was that the pilot did not follow checklist procedures.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the nose landing gear failed to fully retract after a practice approach and that he diverted to a nearby airport with the intent of landing. After completing the emergency procedures checklist, and about 1/4 mile from the intended runway with the main gear down and the nose gear in the mid-range position, the pilot placed the mixture levers in the idle cut-off position and the propeller levers to feather. After doing so, the airplane’s descent rate increased and the pilot inadvertently landed 200 feet short of the intended runway, substantially damaging the forward fuselage and wings. The Emergency Procedures checklist for the accident airplane indicated, in part, that the pilot should land the airplane prior to placing the mixture levers to the idle cut-off position. When the pilot placed the mixture levers to the cut-off position prior to landing with a reported 23 knot headwind, the airplane’s descent profile likely increased prior to reaching the intended runway and the airplane landed short of the runway. The checklist does not make reference to the propeller levers. After a postaccident examination of the nose landing gear, the pilot reported that the centering roller mechanism was missing and most likely separated during the flight, resulting in the nose gear wheel assembly not centering during retraction, which jammed the wheel assembly in the wheel well.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.