On January 14, 1996, a Cessna 310C (registration N700YA) was involved in an aviation accident near Irvington, AL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing that collapsed the right main landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
The pilot experienced a stall during final approach due to a sudden decrease in wind below the tree line. Compensating with power caused a pitch-up, resulting in a hard landing that collapsed the right main gear.
What happened
During the final approach phase of flight, the aircraft descended below the local tree line. At this altitude, the pilot observed a noticeable decrease in wind speed. To compensate for the loss of airspeed and lift associated with the wind change, the pilot applied additional engine power.
This input caused the nose of the airplane to pitch up abruptly, leading to an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ground with significant force on the right main landing gear. The impact load was sufficient to cause structural failure of the gear assembly, resulting in a collapsed right main landing gear.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during final approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and a subsequent hard landing that collapsed the right main landing gear.