Casualties unknown

Landing Gear Scissor Failure Causes Runway Excursion and River Stop (N8138F)

Richland, VA, US

On December 26, 1990, a Cessna 402 (registration N8138F) operated by Kci Enterprise Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Richland, VA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the left main landing gear scissor assembly. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

During landing, the airplane experienced a strong vibration and veered left after brake application, skidding off the runway and down an embankment into a small river. Post-accident investigation revealed failure of the left main landing gear scissor assembly.

Incident Details

According to the pilot's statement, the approach and landing were performed normally. However, shortly after applying the brakes, a strong vibration was felt, and the airplane began to veer to the left. The airplane subsequently skidded off the left side of the runway, continued down an embankment, and came to a stop in a small river.

Investigation Findings

A post-accident investigation revealed that the left main landing gear scissor assembly had failed. The failure occurred during the landing roll. The airplane had been flown for 8 hours since its most recent 100-hour inspection. No other contributing factors were identified in the source material.

Probable cause

Failure of the left main landing gear scissor assembly.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001212X24727. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.