Accident Details
On June 2, 2017, at approximately 1911 central daylight time, a Cessna 210F, registration N1854F, sustained substantial damage during a landing at Anoka County-Blaine Airport (ANE) in Anoka, Minnesota. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The intended destination was Park Rapids Municipal Airport (PKD) in Park Rapids, Minnesota.
Landing Gear Malfunction
During takeoff climb, the pilot raised the landing gear handle, but the landing gear did not fully retract. The pilot attempted emergency procedures to lower the gear, but without success. He returned to ANE and spent approximately one hour circling the airport to burn fuel and continue attempts to extend the gear manually, including trying with the master switch both on and off. The ANE tower controller confirmed that the main landing gear were partially retracted and the nose wheel was down.
Emergency Landing
The pilot conducted a full-flap landing on runway 18. As the airplane settled onto the runway, the main landing gear retracted into the gear bay. The airplane veered off the runway, and the right horizontal stabilizer was substantially damaged as the airplane skidded to a stop.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and found insufficient hydraulic fluid in the system to manually pump the landing gear into the fully extended position. The hydraulic hoses were original equipment from 1966 but appeared functional. No obvious hydraulic fluid leaks were observed.
Maintenance History
The pilot reported that the hydraulic system had been over-pressurized by a mechanic a few years before the accident, leading to subsequent hydraulic leaks. He added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir every 12 hours; however, no corresponding entries were made in the aircraft maintenance logbook. The pilot stated that he had filled the reservoir a few days before the accident and flew for about 45 to 60 minutes without rechecking the fluid level afterward.
The airplane owner reported the last annual maintenance inspection was performed on December 1, 2016, with a total airframe time of 6,736 hours. In contrast, the mechanic who performed the inspection claimed it occurred on December 20, 2016, and provided a maintenance entry on a sticky note, which the owner did not retain. The mechanic stated that during that inspection, the landing gear operated satisfactorily with no obvious leaks, and he was unaware that the pilot had been adding hydraulic fluid regularly. The mechanic noted a history of hydraulic system leaks due to previous over-pressurization and recalled replacing an O-ring in the hydraulic filter screen about a year earlier.