Cessna CE-560 incident near Key Largo, Florida, March 5, 2000
On March 5, 2000 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna CE-560, registered N314QS, suffered minor damage in an incident near Key Largo, Florida (Ocean Reef Club Airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The malfunction of the nose gear locking mechanism for undetermined reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2000 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · Ocean Reef Club Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna CE-560
- Registration
- N314QS · registry record · serial 560-0441
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed the before landing check, which included the lowering of the landing gear, several miles on short final. The pilot recalled that the landing gear indicator lights were green, or landing gear down and locked. After the airplane landed, the pilot deployed the thrust reverses. At approximately the same time, the nose gear retracted into the wheel well. The airplane slid down runway 04, and came to rest 2000 feet from the end of the runway. The initial examination of the airplane disclosed that the nose gear up-down-lock actuator experienced a mechanical failure. During the subsequent examination of the assembly, no mechanical problem was detected during functional testing. All functional pressures and other operational parameters tested within the normal certificated limits.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,412 hours in all; 1,113 in this make and model; 158 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 6,775 as pilot in command; 2,606 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,619 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme
- Maximum gross weight: 16,300 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15-5D (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBI Palm Beach FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: X09
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 4,456 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:57 pm from HST, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.