Accident Overview
On September 16, 2016, at 1105 eastern daylight time, a Cessna P210 (registration N224MH) operated by Ridge View Air was substantially damaged following a main landing gear collapse during landing at Lancaster Airport (LNS) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight Details
According to the flight instructor, the purpose of the flight was to provide training for the pilot under instruction, who was seeking high-performance and complex airplane endorsements. The first leg originated from Lancaster Airport and flew to Chester County G O Carlson Airport (MQS) in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, where six uneventful full-stop landings were performed, including exercises with the landing gear. The second and final leg returned to Lancaster Airport. The flight had departed MQS about 1045.
Upon arrival at Lancaster, the pilot receiving instruction lowered the landing gear as the airplane entered a downwind traffic pattern leg for runway 08. Both pilots twice confirmed that the landing gear was in the down and locked position. During the landing, the airplane initially touched down and then momentarily lifted off, at which point the landing gear warning horn sounded. The flight instructor took control and set the airplane down on the right main landing gear. As the airplane decelerated, the nose wheel touched down, a right yaw developed, the left wing settled onto the runway, and the airplane slid to a stop.
Examination Findings
An examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest upright on the right side of the runway, oriented on a heading of about 230 degrees magnetic. The airplane was resting on the left wingtip, fuselage, and nose wheel. Both main landing gear were collapsed and near their respective "up" positions, while the nose gear was in the down position and canted toward the right. Two tire marks about 350 feet long were found on the runway extending westward from the airplane toward the approach end. A third tire mark extended about 150 feet west from the location of the nose wheel. The left horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and left aileron were substantially damaged.
Following recovery to a hangar, a second examination by FAA inspectors found that the right main landing gear lock mechanism was engaged, while the left main landing gear lock mechanism was disengaged. The airplane was then jacked and balanced so that all three landing gear were off the ground. The right main landing gear was manually unlocked, and hydraulic and electrical power were applied. As power was applied, the landing gear unsafe horn sounded. The landing gear lever was moved to the extend position, and both main landing gear moved to the down and locked position. The main landing gear locks were manually released, and the procedure was repeated two additional times with the same results. The landing gear was not retracted during the test due to damage to the nose wheel assembly. The landing gear indicating system, unsafe warning horn, operating lever, and main landing gear lock system all functioned properly. The hydraulic reservoir level was about 1/16 inch above the "add" line. The examination and tests did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Maintenance and Weather
Review of maintenance records revealed that the airplane's most recent annual inspection occurred on December 4, 2015, at which time the airplane had accrued a total of 3,772 hours. The recorded wind at Lancaster Airport at 1109 was from 160° at 5 knots.