Cessna R182 N9155C

Summary

On 19 August 2017 at about 17:10 local time, a Cessna R182 registered N9155C was involved in an accident near Clearwater, Florida, United States. One person was 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

19 August 2017 at 17:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Clearwater, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Clearwater Air Park (CLW)

Coordinates

27.9767, -82.7589

Aircraft

Cessna R182

Registration

N9155C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tampa → Clearwater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA287

Nobody was injured.

The improper maintenance of the landing gear system and subsequent failure of the hydraulic landing gear down return line, which resulted in a loss of hydraulic fluid and the pilot’s inability to extend and lock the main landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot stated that he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and did not notice any hydraulic leaks near the landing gear system. After takeoff, he retracted the landing gear and noted that the amber landing gear "UP" indicator had illuminated. While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear, but they did not extend completely and lock. He then departed the traffic pattern and performed the landing gear malfunction procedures in the pilot operating handbook to no avail. Next, he performed several maneuvers to lock the landing gear in the down position for about 1 hour but was unsuccessful and chose to return to the airport and perform a gear-up landing. After landing, the pilot tried to maintain directional control of the airplane; it came to rest on the runway and sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. Postaccident examination of the hydraulic system revealed that there was no hydraulic fluid in the reservoir and that hydraulic fluid was leaking from the rubber landing gear down return line. The line was removed, and a leak was noted. The airframe manufacturer's service manual indicated that all rubber parts in the landing gear system, which includes the rubber landing gear down return line, should be replaced every 5 years. Examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that there were no maintenance entries related to servicing or replacing that line. Because the landing gear down return line was improperly maintained and was never replaced, it is likely that the line failed and leaked hydraulic fluid, depleting the amount of fluid needed for the landing gear system to maintain hydraulic pressure to extend and lock the main landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.