Accident
On March 20, 2014, at approximately 1205 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 421B, registration N5929M, operated by a private individual, sustained substantial damage during landing at Charleston International Airport in Charleston, South Carolina. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight, which originated from Jim Hamilton L.B. Owens Airport in Columbia, South Carolina. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane was landing on runway 3, a 7,000-foot-long, 150-foot-wide concrete runway. According to the pilot, all three landing gear indicators were confirmed in the green during approach, and a normal touchdown was performed. As the airplane began the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane then veered to the right and struck two runway lights, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing rear spar.
Aircraft Examination
An FAA inspector examined the airplane and found that the right main landing gear down lock bellcrank was fractured and had separated from its respective trunnion. The bellcrank bolt remained installed but was sheared at the bolt head, consistent with overload. The trunnion forward attach point for the bellcrank was broken and not recovered. The upper end of the bellcrank remained attached to the outboard push-pull tube, while the lower end, which attached to the rod end fitting at the lower side link, was broken in a manner consistent with a ductile tension failure.
Due to the damage, a functional check or verification of the landing gear system rigging could not be performed. A representative from Cessna noted that the fracture location was consistent with the additional stresses that would have been placed on the bellcrank had the landing gear not been properly rigged.
Maintenance Records
Review of maintenance records indicated that the airplane had been operated for about 4 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was conducted on January 2, 2014. That inspection included maintenance on the airplane that involved adjustment of the right main landing gear travel.