On April 7, 1982, a Cessna 310 (registration N8039Q) operated by Paul Steinhauser was involved in an aviation accident near Pittsburgh, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Improper reinstallation of the nose gear door linkage: the clevis pin was inserted through the linkage fork but not through the center hinge eyebolt, causing the left nose gear door to close prematurely and the retraction linkage to pull away from its… This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After takeoff, a loud bang occurred during gear retraction. The nose gear failed to lock, and the aircraft made a gear-up landing. Investigation revealed improper reinstallation of the nose gear door linkage.
Event Description
Following departure, the flight crew heard a loud bang when the landing gear was being retracted. A low pass by the control tower confirmed that the nose landing gear was not in the locked position. Despite multiple attempts, the crew could not lock the nose gear. The pilot subsequently performed a landing on the main landing gear. As the airspeed decreased to approximately 40 mph, the nose settled onto the runway. The aircraft slid for about 150 feet before coming to a stop.
Findings
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the heater unit had been removed for overhaul. To facilitate the heater removal, the nose gear door linkages had been disconnected. When the linkage for the left gear door was reinstalled, the clevis pin was inserted through the linkage fork but not through the center hinge eyebolt. This misalignment caused the left nose gear door to close before the nose gear entered the wheel well. As a result, the retraction linkage pulled away from its attachment points, preventing the nose gear from locking into place.
Probable cause
Improper reinstallation of the nose gear door linkage: the clevis pin was inserted through the linkage fork but not through the center hinge eyebolt, causing the left nose gear door to close prematurely and the retraction linkage to pull away from its attachment points.