Denton Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Denton, Texas 76207
Saturday, September 18, 2010 11:45 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

During an instructional flight the student pilot performed four uneventful touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings at one airport and then proceeded to another airport to make a soft-field landing on the grass runway. When the landing gear was extended, the landing gear indicator light did not illuminate. The annunciator lights were checked (press-to-test) and operated normally. He confirmed that the nose landing gear was only partially extended by looking in the convex mirrors mounted in on the engine nacelles. After the pilots cycled the landing gear several times and attempted to perform a manual extension least three times, the certificated flight instructor landed the airplane and the nose gear folded. A postaccident inspection revealed that the push-pull rod that connects the gear transmission to the nose gear had separated, damaging the wing spar and several fuselage ribs.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The failure of the landing gear push-pull rod.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/18/2010
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1145
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City Denton
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 76207
Event Date Year 2010
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 331202N
Event Location Longitude 0971153W
Event Location Airport Denton Municipal
Event Location Nearest Airport ID DTO
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport On Airport
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 642
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1228 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID DTO
Elevation of weather observation facility 642
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.07
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report SPECI KDTO 181727Z 14007KT 10SM CLR 32/21 A3007 RM
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 27783
NTSB Notification Source Flight Standards District Offi
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Nov 1 2010 4:36PM
User who most recently changed record bowl
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N56VP
NTSB Number CEN10LA567
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 320
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 320-0036
Certified Max Gross Weight 5400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats 2
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats 2
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 20 2010 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 3
Airframe Hours 3219
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type Unknown
Aircraft Owner Name Association of Orthopedic Services PA
Aircraft Owner Street Address 651 S. Great Southwest Pkwy.
Aircraft Owner City Grand Prairie
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 75051-1002
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Association of Orthopedic Services PA
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 651 S. Great Southwest Pkwy.
Operator City Grand Prairie
Operator State TX
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 75051-1002
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code GPM
Departure City Grand Prairie
Departure State TX
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1200
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt crash at destination city
Destination Airport Code DTO
Destination City Denton
Destination State TX
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight --
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 18 2010 12:19PM
User who most recently changed record scoa
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location 17
Runway Length 5999
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --