Pilot Debrief

CESSNA T210L near Albuquerque, NM — 2009-10-14

Final reportCEN10LA014
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Date
2009-10-14
Location
Albuquerque, NM, USA
Airport
ABQ
Aircraft
CESSNA T210L
Registration
N211LC
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The mechanic's failure to find and repair a leaking main landing gear hydraulic line during an annual inspection.

NTSB narrative

The single-engine airplane had just undergone an annual inspection, which included several landing gear retraction and emergency gear extension tests. The commercial pilot performed an extensive pre-flight inspection before he departed on its first post-maintenance flight and found no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, as the pilot retracted the landing gear, the hydraulic pump stopped and the "gear-up" light did not illuminate. He then tried to extend the gear and nothing happened. The pilot referenced an inspection mirror on the right wing and realized all three landing gear were dangling between the up and down positions. The pilot stabilized the airplane and used his cell phone to call Cessna Aircraft Company. An engineer provided troubleshooting techniques, but the pilot was unable to secure the gear in the down-and-locked position. The pilot then made a partial gear-up landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. The airplane had been modified under a Supplemental Type Certificate in 1987, which removed the main landing gear doors and replaced them with fairings. As a result, some of the landing gear hydraulic lines were capped. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed an examination of the airplane and found a hydraulic line in the landing gear system that was not properly capped and was leaking. The line was re-capped and several gear extension/retraction tests were successfully performed. The uncapped line should have been found and repaired during the annual inspection.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have conducted more thorough preflight checks on landing gear system.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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