Cessna 310F accident near Reidsville, North Carolina, March 30, 2003
On March 30, 2003 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 310F, registered N5810X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reidsville, North Carolina (Rockingham County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly install the nose gear landing door link during an annual inspection that resulted in the failure of the nose gear to fully extend.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2003 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Reidsville, North Carolina · Rockingham County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310F · all 310Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5810X · registry record · serial 310-0110
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on an instrument flight rules flight plan and heard a "pop" noise during the gear retraction sequence on climb out. Upon arrival at his destination airport he completed the before landing checklist and the landing gear did not fully extend. The pilot was informed by ground personnel the main landing gear appeared to be fully extended, however the nose gear was partially extended. Efforts by the pilot to extend the landing gear were unsuccessful and he made a forced landing to the grass area adjacent to the active runway. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear, ballooned back into the air, and collided with the ground in a nose down attitude. Examination of the airplane revealed the left landing gear door link was not connected. Review of the airplane logbook revealed an annual inspection and landing gear inspection was completed on March 30, 2003, the same day as the accident.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,010 hours in all; 1,254 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 15,940 as pilot in command; 1,394 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Crew member
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,138 hours in all; 131 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 5,459 as pilot in command; 2,547 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 21, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,801.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 2003; 3.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,830 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-470-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5R2 Ocean Springs MS at 12:34 pm
- Destination: 78N Reidsville NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 31, 5,199 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; scat at 300 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from GSO, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.