Cessna 310Q N7770Q

Summary

On 21 March 2015 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 310Q registered N7770Q was involved in an accident near St. George, Utah, 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

21 March 2015 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

St. George, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

St George Regional Airport (SGU)

Coordinates

37.0917, -113.5928

Aircraft

Cessna 310Q

Registration

N7770Q

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. George → St. George

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

WPR15LA129

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the left main landing gear lower adjusting bolt due to overstress, which resulted in the left main landing gear collapse during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot reported that he completed three takeoffs and landings before departing the area to practice in-flight maneuvers, after which he reentered the traffic pattern for landing. With normal landing gear indications in the cockpit, the pilot landed the airplane normally and uneventfully. During the landing roll, the left wing lowered more than normal, and the engine propellers and left wingtip impacted the runway surface; subsequently, the airplane slid to the left and exited the runway surface. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left aileron. Postaccident examination revealed that the lower adjusting bolt on the left main landing gear was fracture separated. Both fracture surfaces exhibited fractographic features consistent with overstress fracture due to tensile and cantilever bending loads applied to the tie-rod end fitting. No indications of preexisting cracking were observed. The airplane's last annual inspection was completed on the day of the accident, during which the left and right main landing gear side brace bolts and bushings were replaced and a gear retraction test was satisfactory. According to the manufacturer, the area where the fracture occurred is where a mechanic would place a spring scale to measure the down lock force. This area is one of two main fracture locations when the down lock is improperly adjusted. The investigation could not determine if the bolt fractured as a result of overstress from the landing sequence, an improper adjustment of the bolt, or a combination of the two.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.