Accident Details
On August 9, 2022, at about 1057 central daylight time, a Cessna 210B airplane, registration N9637X, sustained substantial damage during a landing accident near Clinton, Arkansas. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was uninjured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the landing gear retracted normally during takeoff. However, when he attempted to extend the landing gear for landing, the nosewheel extended and locked, but the main landing gear did not fully extend. The pilot performed the checklist procedures for emergency landing gear operation, but the main landing gear remained in the trail position. Unable to achieve a full extension, the pilot elected to land with the nosewheel extended and the main gear trailing. He shut down the engine when landing was assured. After touchdown, during deceleration, the airplane rolled slightly to the left, causing the left elevator and horizontal stabilizer to contact the runway. This contact resulted in substantial damage to both structures.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed a fracture in the hydraulic actuator, which allowed hydraulic fluid to escape the system. The actuator was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory for detailed analysis. The barrel of the housing was sectioned to isolate the cracked area. Examination of the fracture surfaces showed features consistent with fatigue cracking that had initiated along the retaining ring groove of the actuator and propagated circumferentially outward. Once the fatigue crack reached its terminal size, the remaining cross-section failed from a combination of overstress and fatigue. This cracking caused part of the housing barrel to fracture in overstress, releasing the internal pressurized hydraulic fluid.
Maintenance records indicated that overhauled main landing gear actuators had been installed on June 10, 2021, approximately 14 months and 179 hours of airframe total time before the accident.