CALEXICO, CA, USA
N6994L
Cessna 310K
The pilot reported that, prior to the accident, there was a preexisting problem with the right main landing gear indication light. When the gear was extended, the right main landing gear down light would not illuminate. He stated that an adjustment to the right main landing gear switch was conducted, and 2 days later he left for a flying vacation. No discrepancies were noted with the airplane on the month-long trip. On the return flight, at an intermediate stop prior to the intended destination, the right main landing gear down indication light did not illuminate. The pilot recycled the landing gear, and the right main landing gear down indication light still did not illuminate. The pilot continued the landing with no discrepancies noted. He then flew the airplane to the accident airport. Prior to landing the pilot extended the landing gear, but did not receive a gear down indication from the right main landing gear. He recycled the gear, but the right main landing gear down light did not illuminate. He continued with the landing, and on the landing rollout the right main landing gear collapsed.
On June 19, 1998, at 1132 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310K, N6994L, collapsed the right main landing gear after touchdown at the Calexico, California, airport. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot/owner and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed. The flight's point of origin was Loreto, Mexico, and was landing at Calexico to clear U.S. customs. In his written statement, the pilot reported that the landing gear mechanism had a history of problems. The pilot stated that on March 22, 1998, work had been done on the nose landing gear. Review of the maintenance record entry disclosed that the landing gear doors for all three gear were replaced, in addition to the nose gear up-lock torque tube. The entry notes only the rerigging of the nose gear. Following the repair, 10 takeoffs and landings were conducted to test the system, with no discrepancies noted. On a May 4, 1998 local flight, the right main landing gear down indication light did not illuminate. The pilot recycled the landing gear, and the right main landing gear down light functioned. The aircraft was flown to the repair station that had worked on the airplane in March 1998 to be inspected. When the landing gear was extended for landing, the right main landing gear light did not illuminate. The pilot reported that he recycled the landing gear, but the right main landing gear light did not illuminate. He stated that he made a normal landing. The inspection of the right main landing gear revealed that an adjustment to the proximity switch needed to be made. The pilot stated that 2 days later, after the adjustment had been made on the landing gear, he left on a flying vacation. No discrepancies were noted on the month-long trip, until the return landing at the Loreto airport. He stated that the right main landing gear light did not illuminate on the initial or attempted recycle of the landing gear. The pilot stated that the landing was uneventful. The pilot reported that he then flew the airplane to the accident airport. He stated that the right main landing gear light did not illuminate after extension of the landing gear. He recycled the landing gear, but still did not receive a gear down light. He continued with the landing, and on the landing rollout the right main landing gear collapsed. The damage to the airplane was originally classified as minor and no inspection of the aircraft was conducted by either the Federal Aviation Administration or the Safety Board to determine the condition or operational capability of the landing gear down locks. The damage to the airplane was determined to be substantial on July 10, 1998.
The pilot's continued operation of the aircraft with known deficiencies in the landing gear indicating system. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's expectation that the gear would be extended and locked irrespective of the indicator lights due to his prior experience with the malfunctioning indicator system.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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