Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315
Saturday, March 3, 2001 14:52 EST

The pilot reported that during the approach to runway 27L with the wind from the southwest at 15 knots and no gusts, he confirmed that all gears were down and locked as evidenced by the down and locked lights. He reported landing first on the left main landing gear followed by the right main then nose gear. During the landing roll while almost stopped, "I felt like a blown tire, right wheel zig zag and suddenly I could not control turn to the right and landing gear collapse." The airplane came to rest upright; scrubbing was noted on the lower inboard portion of the right main landing gear tire and the right main landing gear wheel assembly was rotated nearly 90 degrees. Additionally, the upper and lower link assemblies of the right main landing gear were separated from each other; the attach hardware for them remained in the upper link assembly. Post incident examination of the airplane revealed that the bolt that secures the upper and lower link assemblies pulled through the lower link assembly on the nut end. Two washers on the nut end with a thickness of approximately .023 inch were damaged during the pull-through. A washer with a thickness of approximately .061 was installed under the bolt head. A non-mandatory Cessna Service Information Letter indicates to install .066 inch thick washers on the head and nut end of the bolt that secures the upper and lower link assemblies. There was no record in the maintenance records that the non-mandatory service information letter was complied with. Post incident testing of the right main landing gear actuator revealed that the unlocking pressure was too high and one of the four lock keys was improperly installed. Testing of the right main landing gear actuator for unlock pressure was performed by the operator approximately 2 months before the incident in accordance with a service bulletin (SB). The SB states to replace the actuator if the unlocking pressure is not in specification; the actuator was not replaced. There was no serviceable tag in the maintenance records and no determination was made indicating when or what facility overhauled the actuator. The FAA approved inspection program for the operator does not list to inspect the main landing gear link assemblies as does the Cessna Progressive Care Program.

Incomplete compliance with a non-mandatory Cessna Service Information Letter by an unknown person resulting in pulling through of the attach bolt of the upper and lower link assemblies and subsequent rotation of the right wheel assembly. Additionally, improper overhaul of the right main landing gear actuator by an unknown person resulting in collapse of the right main landing gear. Findings in the investigation were: 1) Inadequate compliance with a Cessna Service Bulletin (SB) by company maintenance personnel for failure to replace the actuator as addressed in the SB due to a discrepancy with the actuator noted during the post incident testing, and 2) Failure of the FAA to include inspection of the main landing gear torque links in the FAA approved inspection program as described in the Cessna Progressive Care Program.