Cessna 402C incident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 27, 2010
On July 27, 2010 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N402VN, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Luis Munoz Marin International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 airplane manufacturer’s inadequate inspection procedures, resulting in the undetected fatigue cracking of the right upper barrel and trunnion assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2010 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Luis Munoz Marin International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N402VN · registry record · serial 402C0488
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Following the pilot’s brake application during the landing roll, an undetected fatigue crack that originated on the right upper barrel and trunnion assembly resulted in the separation of the lower portion of the landing gear. The airplane came to rest upright and the pilot and passenger successfully evacuated. A postincident inspection of the failed barrel revealed fatigue that originated on the outer surface and penetrated approximately 90 percent of the wall thickness. At the time of the incident, the operator had been performing visual inspections of the barrels looking for leaks due to cracking from the inside; the last visual inspection of the barrel was performed about 62 hours earlier. At the time of the incident, the manufacturer did not have a special inspection in place to detect fatigue cracks on the outer surface of the barrel, though there had been previous incidents and accidents in which the barrel of the upper barrel and trunnion assembly was documented to have failed due to undetected fatigue cracks that originated on the outer surface.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Not specified
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 194 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 26,939 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, July 11, 2010; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,210 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520-VB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hyannis Air Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: VQS Isla De Vieques PR at 3:48 pm
- Destination: SJU San Juan PR
- Runway 10, 8,016 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from SJU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.