Cessna 210M N7354M

Summary

On 23 February 1998 at about 15:38 local time, a Cessna 210M registered N7354M was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 February 1998 at 15:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Lafayette Rgnl Airport (LFT)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 210M

Registration

N7354M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98LA131

1 person had minor injuries.

The unsecured squat switch wires located in the nose gear that were crimped (damaged) when the landing gear was retracted and shorted, resulting in an in-flight fire. A factor was the failure of the landing gear to extend during the emergency descent/landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged during an in-flight fire and gear up landing. The pilot reported that he had 'not gone more than eight miles from the airport, when [he] started to smell smoke.' He observed white smoke coming from under the instrument panel on the co-pilot's side and 'shortly' thereafter the engine 'began to surge.' The pilot was unable to extend the gear using the gear selector switch and began using the emergency gear pump. As he was attempting to pump the gear down he noticed a fire that 'looked to be around the hydraulic reservoir on the co-pilot's side' A gear up landing was executed on runway 04R. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left side of the nose gear well was burned in the vicinity of the fuel line that connects the fuel pump to the strainer. The squat switch wires, which are normally secured to the nose gear strut, were found loose. The squat switch wires were crimped and the protective casing around the wire was burned away at the crimped area. The FAA inspector reported that the fire burned a hole in the engine firewall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.