Cessna 401A N444RJ
1 July 1995 · Van Nuys, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 1 July 1995 at about 14:50 local time, a Cessna 401A registered N444RJ was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, California, United States. 5 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Van Nuys, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Van Nuys (VNY)
- Coordinates
- 34.2190, -118.4401
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401A
- Registration
- N444RJ
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Cabo San Lucas
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX95LA232
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Probable cause
the failure of the wing rib web due to undetected cracking in an area of known crack development around the landing gear side brace fitting. The operator's failure to accomplish a Service Letter addressing the problem is a factor in the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT WAS MAKING A RIGHT-HAND TURN IN THE RUN-UP AREA AT A SLOW SPEED WHEN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE SIDE BRACE FOR THE MAIN LANDING GEAR IS ATTACHED TO A CASTING, WHICH IN TURN IS BOLTED TO THE INBOARD WING RIB IN THE LANDING GEAR WHEEL WELL. EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE WING RIB WEB CRACKED AROUND THE CASTING, WHICH ALLOWED THE SIDE BRACE TO MOVE AND THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. PORTIONS OF THE CRACK APPEARED DISCOLORED AND OLD. REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO HISTORY OF LANDING GEAR DAMAGE OR HARD LANDING RELATED MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LAST INSPECTED DURING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION 7 MONTHS AND 60 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY REPORTED THAT IN RESPONSE TO CRACKS FOUND ON THE INBOARD WING RIB WEB AROUND THE SIDE BRACE FITTING, SERVICE LETTER ME76-2 WAS ISSUED ON JANUARY 5, 1976. THE LETTER DETAILS THE INSTALLATION OF A STEEL REINFORCEMENT/DOUBLER PLATE ON THE WING RIB WEB BEHIND THE LANDING GEAR SIDE BRACE FITTING. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT SERVICE LETTER ME76-2 WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 401 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Feb 1994 | Cessna 401A | Minot, North Dakota, United States | U.s. Dept of Health & Human SV | Fatal | 4 |
| 9 Jan 1996 | Cessna 401A | Spokane, Washington, United States | Pacific States Charter Service | Fatal | 3 |
| 13 Jun 1994 | Cessna 401A | Congotown, Congo | Congo Airways Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 1996 | Cessna 401 | Great Bend, Kansas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jan 1997 | Cessna 401 | Crystal, Minnesota, United States | Air-One | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 1993 | Cessna 401 | Middle Caicos, Turks And Caicos Islands | Provo Flyers, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jun 1995 | Ed Bergreen KIS | San Leandro, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1995 | Spreuer COZY | Oceanside, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 1995 | Cessna 182P | Susanville, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1995 | Cessna 150M | Turlock, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-28-181 | Palm Springs, California, United States | Alan L. Kaplan | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jun 1995 | Piper PA-34-200 | Avalon, California, United States | Aero Club | No injuries | - |