Incident Overview
On July 30, 2019, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 210E (registration N2362F) operated by a private pilot sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing at Lovell Field Airport (CHA) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight was conducted under Part 91 rules in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. It originated from Destin Executive Airport (DTS) in Destin, Florida, at about 1120 central daylight time, and was destined for Mark Anton Airport (2A0) in Dayton, Tennessee.
Pilot Actions and Initial Malfunction
According to the pilot, the preflight inspection revealed no anomalies or hydraulic leaks near the landing gear system. After takeoff from DTS, the landing gear would not lock into place on the first retraction attempt. Cycling the gear produced the same result. The pilot placed the landing gear handle in the neutral position and continued the flight, which was uneventful en route.
Upon arrival at 2A0, the pilot selected the landing gear handle down. The gear down-and-locked light did not illuminate, and a visual inspection revealed the landing gear hanging under the airplane and not locked. The pilot followed the landing gear malfunction procedures from the pilot operating handbook without success. He attempted manual extension, but the gear still would not lock. Hydraulic fluid was observed on the floorboards near the passenger seat.
Emergency Landing and Damage
Aerial observation by airport personnel showed the nose gear extended and the main gear trailing and not fully extended. The pilot declared an emergency and diverted to CHA, landing on runway 20 with the nose gear down and locked and the main gear partially extended. During deceleration, the airplane veered right, struck a taxiway sign, and slid to a stop in the grass.
An FAA inspector examined the scene. The airplane came to rest upright on the right side of the runway, resting on the right wingtip, fuselage, and nose wheel. Both main landing gear were collapsed. The right rear empennage was torn, and both horizontal stabilizers were substantially damaged.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on June 7, 2017. According to logbooks, he had 123.8 total flight hours, with 83.9 hours in the same make and model.
The aircraft, a 4-seat, high-wing, retractable-gear airplane (serial number 21058562), was manufactured in 1965. The most recent annual inspection was completed on October 10, 2018, at an airframe total time of 4,950.3 hours. The engine was a Continental IO-520-A (285 hp), with 2,996 total hours and 932.4 hours since overhaul at the last annual inspection. At the time of the accident, engine time was 3,057 hours.
Landing Gear System Examination
Examination at a maintenance facility revealed a low hydraulic fluid level in the reservoir and evidence of seepage near both landing gear actuators and the emergency gear-extension handle. The left actuator was broken, and the emergency gear handle did not feel "normal." A placard on the firewall stated, "Check fluid level every 25 hours;" the pilot said it had not been checked since the last annual inspection.
The pilot purchased the airplane in 2017 after it was sold at auction without logbooks. The landing gear saddle was subject to Airworthiness Directive AD 76-14-07 R2, which required replacement and subsequent dye penetration inspections every 1,200 hours. No records showed compliance with the AD or that annual inspections of the part had been performed.
Cockpit placards and the manufacturer's service manual called for hydraulic reservoir inspection every 25 hours, landing gear hydraulic system checks every 100 hours, replacement of rubber parts every 5 years, and overhaul of the selector valve, emergency hand pump, and pressure switch every 5 years. Available maintenance records did not indicate that these inspections or overhauls had been performed.
Weather Conditions
The 1553 weather at CHA included wind from 150° at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, light rain, few clouds at 2,000 ft, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft, broken layers at 10,000 ft and 25,000 ft, temperature 23°C, dew point 18°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.05 inHg.