Introduction
On 8 February 2006, at 14:30 UTC, a Cessna P210N Centurion, registration D-ECPM, was involved in an incident at Marina di Campo Airport (LIRJ) on the island of Elba. The aircraft had departed at 13:59 UTC for a local flight with only the pilot on board.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft was a pressurized high-wing monoplane with retractable tricycle landing gear, built in 1978. It was powered by a Continental TSIO-520P six-cylinder fuel-injected engine producing 231 kW (310 hp), driving a Hartzell PHC-J3YF-1RF three-blade variable-pitch propeller. The airframe had accumulated 2290 hours and 53 minutes total time, with 3720 flight cycles. The last annual inspection was performed on 22 March 2005, after which the aircraft had flown 54 hours and 44 minutes.
The pilot, a 50-year-old Italian male, held a valid Private Pilot License (PPL) with SEP and MEP ratings and a valid medical certificate. He had 1079 hours and 32 minutes total flight time, including 354 hours and 54 minutes on type, and had flown 23 hours and 33 minutes in the preceding 90 days.
Event Description
After takeoff, immediately upon retracting the landing gear, the pilot experienced a total electrical failure. He used a portable radio to communicate the emergency to the AFIS operator. The pilot maintained 2,000 feet and performed the manual landing gear extension procedure. Despite more than 65 manual pump cycles—exceeding the emergency procedure's requirement—the gear did not lock.
The pilot proceeded to land with the gear extended but unlocked, at 82 knots, without flaps due to the electrical failure. Upon touchdown on runway 34, the gear partially retracted, causing the pilot to lose control. The aircraft yawed left, exited the runway, and came to rest in a ditch beside the safety strips, near the airport perimeter fence.
Emergency services, already positioned at the runway threshold and strips, secured the aircraft. The pilot exited the aircraft unaided and was uninjured. The aircraft sustained extensive damage to the fuselage, wings, empennage, and propeller. No third-party damage occurred.
Meteorological Conditions
Weather conditions were reported as calm wind with 8 km visibility. No adverse weather factors were present.
Maintenance History
Approximately one month before the incident, the aircraft had undergone an unscheduled inspection in France at a certified maintenance facility. During that inspection, the battery was replaced after a previous failure had required an external start. The aircraft had completed that maintenance on the day of the incident and flown about 3 hours before the electrical failure.
Additionally, the same aircraft had experienced a similar electrical failure in 2003, due to an alternator fault that led to battery depletion and landing gear hydraulic pump failure. In that incident, manual extension also failed, resulting in a collapsed left main gear during landing at the same airport. Following the 2003 incident, a longer alternator belt (P/N S2543-1-34.00) was installed instead of the manufacturer's specified belt (P/N S2416-1-31.0) because the standard belt had broken during a test flight. The longer belt was deemed more suitable due to the installation of a higher-amperage alternator (95A vs. 60A) and an air conditioning system that required a smaller alternator pulley (64 mm instead of 74 mm). However, at the time of the 2006 incident, the aircraft was found to have the standard belt (P/N S2416-1-31.0) installed, which was heavily worn, with no record of this replacement in the maintenance logs.
Technical Findings
Post-accident technical investigation determined the total electrical failure resulted from two concurrent factors:
- Disconnection of the cable between the battery contactor and the master switch;
- Failure of the alternator.
Fractographic examination using scanning electron microscopy revealed that the cable connection had been reduced to no more than 10% of its original cross-sectional area, with traces of tool marks on the remaining fractured surface, indicating likely accidental damage during the recent maintenance.
The alternator, a 95A version, suffered stator overheating leading to insulation breakdown and a short circuit. The investigation noted that the alternator's location and the overhead air conditioning system reduced cooling effectiveness. Both the 2003 and 2006 alternator failures occurred after only about 150 flight hours.
Regarding the manual landing gear extension failure, although specific system tests could not be conducted, it was hypothesized that the hydraulic system suffered partial pressure loss or insufficient pressure to lock the gear in flight.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the incident was the combination of an electrical system failure and the failure of the manual landing gear extension system, which prevented the gear from locking in the extended position. The electrical failure stemmed from inadequate execution of maintenance procedures and incomplete documentation of those procedures.