Accident Summary
On July 11, 2017, at about 1110 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210L, registration N732FJ, was substantially damaged during a landing accident near Avoca, Pennsylvania. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Sequence of Events
The flight was destined for Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE). After takeoff from Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) in Morristown, New Jersey, the pilot raised the landing gear handle, but the gear cycle did not complete. Attempts to lower the gear using the normal hydraulic system were unsuccessful; the hydraulic pump ran but the gear did not move. The pilot then attempted the manual emergency landing gear hand pump but encountered no resistance, leading him to believe hydraulic fluid was absent.
After discussing the issue with maintenance personnel via radio, the pilot decided to divert to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) in Avoca, Pennsylvania. While in the traffic pattern, the pilot performed a flyby of the control tower; the tower controller reported that the landing gear appeared down but dangling and not locked. The pilot landed on runway 22. On touchdown, the landing gear folded, the airplane tilted left, and skidded along the runway before coming to rest.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane and observed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and left wingtip. Further inspection revealed that the left landing gear door actuator had failed, and hydraulic fluid was present in and around the left landing gear well. Maintenance personnel performing subsequent repairs found that the c-clip securing a cap on the left landing gear door piston actuator had "blew out," causing loss of hydraulic pressure and fluid from the lines. The emergency landing gear extension hand pump shared the same hydraulic system.