On September 3, 2001, a Cessna T210L (registration N6721M) was involved in an aviation accident near Olympia, WA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The inability of the landing gear to fully extend due to the failure of a hydraulic hose in the nose gear extension system. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During gear lowering, a hydraulic hose fitting separated, causing fluid loss. The pilot landed with nose gear down but main gear partially extended; main gear collapsed on touchdown, and empennage struck the runway.
Incident Overview
During the gear lowering sequence of a landing gear system, a hose fitting on the nose gear actuator gear-down hydraulic hose separated from the hose body. This failure resulted in the complete drainage of hydraulic fluid from the gear actuating system.
Pilot Actions and Landing
Following the fluid loss, the pilot was unable to move any of the landing gear from their positions at the time of the failure. The aircraft was landed with the nose gear fully extended and locked down, while both main landing gear units were only partially extended.
Touchdown and Aftermath
Upon touchdown, both main gear assemblies folded back into their respective wheel wells. The empennage subsequently contacted the runway surface. The aircraft came to rest on the runway.