Cessna 310L N3261X

Summary

On 23 July 2016 at about 17:25 local time, a Cessna 310L registered N3261X was involved in an accident near Linden, New Jersey, 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

23 July 2016 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Linden, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Linden (LDJ)

Coordinates

40.6175, -74.2444

Aircraft

Cessna 310L

Registration

N3261X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Linden → Linden

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA271

Nobody was injured.

The overtravel of the main landing gear (MLG) actuator, which resulted in the MLG partially collapsing upon landing. The reasons for the overtravel of the MLG actuator could not be determined due to the unavailability of the wreckage.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot stated that, following a flight in which he was performing a functional check on all systems, when he configured the airplane for landing, he saw three green landing gear lights, visually confirmed that the nose landing gear was down, and then completed the approach for landing. The pilot reported that, at touchdown, he heard a "noise," and the copilot reported hearing a "bang" before the airplane's tail dropped to the runway. During the landing rollout, the copilot attempted to "feather the engines" but was only able to feather the right propeller. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway and settled in grass. Upon recovery, the nose landing gear were found down and locked, but the main landing gear (MLG) were partially collapsed and would not lock when the airplane was lifted and the gear moved by hand. Examination of the MLG revealed that the landing gear actuator had been driven beyond the down limit switch and that its travel was stopped by the internal stop pin in the actuator. When the landing gear actuator was driven beyond the down limit and toward the internal stop pin, the MLG was released from its down-and-locked position, which allowed it to partially retract before landing. The wreckage was disposed of before a more detailed examination could be performed, and the reason for the overtravel of the MLG actuator could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.