On November 8, 1982, a Cessna 421C (registration N98442) operated by Morris Trading Corp. was involved in an aviation accident near Evansville, IN. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the left main landing gear actuator. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a 100-hour inspection, a leak in the left main landing gear actuator was found. After seal replacement and testing, the gear collapsed on a subsequent flight. The actuator had failed.
Inspection and Maintenance
During a 100-hour inspection, a leak was discovered in the left main landing gear actuator. The seals were replaced, and the aircraft subsequently underwent a test flight.
Post-Maintenance Testing
On the test flight, the gear-down green light did not illuminate. Despite this, the aircraft was landed without incident and placed on jacks for further gear testing. After replacing one limit switch, all gear indications were normal.
Actuator Failure
During the next test flight, following a landing, the left main landing gear collapsed. Investigation revealed that the left actuator had failed.