On December 9, 1998, a Cessna 310C (registration N218S) was involved in an aviation accident near FT Myers, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane by the pilot and subsequent malfunction of the nose gear strut, and the pilot's failure to follow the landing checklist. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During preflight inspection, the pilot failed to notice a collapsed nose gear strut. After takeoff, landing gear retracted normally. At destination, the pilot lowered the gear handle but did not confirm cockpit indications, resulting in a landing with the nose gear retracted.
Incident Overview
A pilot conducted a preflight inspection of an airplane but did not observe that the nose gear strut had collapsed and was not fully extended. The airplane subsequently departed.
Flight Events
After takeoff, the landing gear retraction proceeded without any reported anomalies. Upon arrival at the destination airport, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle and completed the before-landing check. However, the pilot did not verify the cockpit indications that confirm the landing gear position. The airplane touched down with the nose gear still in the retracted position.
Examination
Post-incident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the nose gear strut had failed to extend within the wheel well. This condition caused interference with the right-hand nose gear door. The examination did not identify any other contributing factors.
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