Lexington, KY, USA
N3844C
CESSNA 310R
On December 15, 2022, at 1420 eastern standard time, a Cessna 310R, N3844C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident on Blue Grass Airport (LEX), Lexington, Kentucky. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. During the approach for landing, the pilot reported that he lowered the airplane’s landing gear and only the nose gear light illuminated. Using the viewing mirror on the engine nacelle, the pilot detected no movement of the gear when he recycled it, and all three landing gear lights remained extinguished. After performing a missed approach, the pilot attempted to manually lower the gear, but felt the system was “not engaging correctly” but continued to turn the handle until it would no longer turn. On final approach, the tower controllers advised that the landing gear “appeared down,” no landing gear warning horn sounded, and the pilot completed the landing. During rollout, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by “folding” of the right main landing gear. After the airplane stopped on the runway, the pilot and his passenger egressed the airplane without injury. Initial examination of the airplane revealed only minor damage, but a more comprehensive examination at a repair station months later revealed substantial damage to the wing spar carry through structure. Examination of photographs taken at the scene revealed the nose landing gear was down and locked, and the landing gear doors were partially open and therefore in a transition phase between the landing gear-retracted position, and deployed position. Later, the airplane was de-paneled which revealed the landing gear actuation linkages, limit switches, and landing gear motor. The inspection revealed damage to the landing gear down-limit switch and its mount bracketry, which was bent 45° from its original horizontal position, towards vertical. The landing gear actuator had been driven beyond the down limit switch and appeared that its travel was stopped by the internal stop pin in the actuator. Figure 1 - Note main landing gear down-limit switch and bracketry in bottom-right corner of frame bent 45° from original horizontal position towards vertical. The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane multi-engine land, rotorcraft helicopter, and instrument airplane and helicopter. His Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued June 7, 2022. The pilot reported 19,450 total hours of flight experience of which 92 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. According to FAA and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 1977 and was powered by two Continental IO-520-MB1 285-horsepower engines. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed July 1, 2022, at 92.18 total aircraft hours. The airplane had accrued about 20 hours since the inspection. According to the maintenance log entry for the annual inspection, main landing gear braces, bushings, and spacers were removed and replaced, and the landing gear system was rigged “per 310R service manual.”
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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