Accident Details
On May 9, 2012, at approximately 1030 central daylight time, a Cessna T210K (registration N727FA) sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing at Midland International Airport (MAF), Midland, Texas. The commercial pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated by Corporate Services LLC of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Flight and Landing Gear Failure
The flight departed Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (BTR) at approximately 0630 and was uneventful until the pilot configured for landing. When the landing gear was extended, the right main gear did not fully extend. The pilot followed the emergency checklist and attempted to manually pump the gear down using the emergency gear pump, but the gear would not extend. After declaring an emergency, the pilot landed. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered right off the runway. Substantial damage occurred to the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
Post-Accident Examination
Airport personnel were able to pull the right main gear into the down-and-locked position and tow the aircraft to a hangar. A representative of the company that maintains the airplane reported that the aircraft was placed on jacks and the gear was swung several times successfully; the anomaly that caused the failure could not be duplicated. Further examination revealed that the top end of the right main landing gear's downlock adjustment screw was slightly bent and loose. Although the actual position of the screw at the time of the accident was not noted, investigators determined that if moved into a certain position, the screw would lean against the gear's down lock mechanism during extension, causing the downlock to prematurely engage before the gear was fully seated in the gear saddle.
Maintenance Findings
The aircraft's emergency procedure for a landing gear extension failure instructed the pilot to use the emergency hand pump. However, given the unique condition of the bent downlock adjustment screw, the manual pump would not have been effective. The maintenance facility found no other mechanical anomalies with the landing gear system. The bent downlock adjustment screw was replaced, and the gear was swung numerous times without incident before the aircraft was returned to service. It is unknown how the screw became bent or how long it had been in that condition prior to the accident.