Incident Overview
On December 11, 2009, at about 1600 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 310, registration N2640C, sustained substantial damage when it landed with the landing gear retracted at Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, Washington. The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 by the front-seated passenger, who owned the aircraft. The commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Prosser Airport, Prosser, Washington, at approximately 1350, with a planned destination of Moses Lake, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Pilot's Account
According to a written statement, the pilot reported that after departure, he retracted the landing gear and simultaneously the cabin heater failed. He slowed the airplane and extended the landing gear to see if it would affect the heater. Noticing no change, he attempted to retract the gear again, but observed no movement in the landing gear position, and the cockpit light remained green indicating the gear was down. Troubleshooting attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot then maneuvered the airplane over the airport, where ground personnel confirmed that the landing gear were extended except for the right main gear, which was retracted with the gear door extended. During a manual retraction attempt, the gear handle would not rotate. After several failed attempts to force the right main gear to extend, the pilot opted to fly to Pasco and land with all gear retracted. The airplane touched down in a tail-low attitude and settled onto the runway, resulting in bulkhead damage.
Post-Accident Examination
Post-accident examination revealed that the rod end of the up-lock push-pull tube on the right main landing gear had failed. The part was disposed of before the National Transportation Safety Board could examine it. A representative from Cessna Aircraft Company, who reviewed detailed photographs of the push-pull tube, stated that the rod end was broken in tension overload. He further noted that such failures are typically a result of improper rigging, although fatigue failure is also possible.