Incident Overview
On July 3, 2013, at approximately 2000 mountain standard time, a Cessna T210K, registration N272EF, experienced a landing gear collapse during the landing roll at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and owner of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at 1825 from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that he had extended the landing gear, but the left main landing gear down-and-locked indicator light did not illuminate to confirm a safe lock. After multiple attempts to secure the left main gear in the down-and-locked position, the pilot proceeded to land. Upon touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane, including bending and wrinkling of the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator.
Post-Accident Examination
On August 22, 2013, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector supervised the disassembly of the left main landing gear actuator assembly. The examination revealed a broken gear tooth from the end of the piston assembly. This tooth was identified as the component responsible for the final down-lock of the left main gear. The assembly functioned correctly in the up-and-locked position, which the pilot had verified during each gear cycling. The failed tooth was not made available for further analysis, and the failure mode could not be determined.