Cessna T210K N727FA

Summary

On 9 May 2012 at about 15:30 local time, a Cessna T210K registered N727FA, operated by Corporate Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, 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 May 2012 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Midland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Midland (MAF)

Coordinates

31.9389, -102.2011

Aircraft

Cessna T210K

Registration

N727FA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Corporate Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → Midland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA300

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the right main landing gear to fully extend before landing due to a bent downlock adjustment screw.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot realized that the right main landing gear failed to extend before landing; they followed the emergency checklist procedure to manually pump the gear down. However, the pilot was unable to extend the gear, and the right main landing gear collapsed upon landing. When the airplane was recovered, the right gear was locked in the extended position, and the airplane was towed to a hangar and placed on jacks. The landing gear was then cycled successfully numerous times; the right main landing gear's failure to extend could not be duplicated. Further examination revealed that the top end of the right main landing gear's downlock adjustment screw was slightly bent. When the bent screw was positioned so that it leaned against the landing gear's downlock mechanism during the extension cycle, the landing gear system's downlock engaged before the gear was fully seated in the gear saddle. The position of the adjustment downlock screw was not documented until after the landing gear had been cycled several times; however, the condition is consistent with the pilot’s inability to manually extend the landing gear using the emergency hand pump. No other mechanical anomalies were noted, and the landing gear system operated normally after the adjustment downlock screw was replaced. It is unknown how the downlock adjustment screw got bent or how long it had been in that condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.