Cessna 310F accident near Sanford, Florida, April 1, 2011
On April 1, 2011 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Cessna 310F, registered N6781X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Sanford, Florida (Orlando Sanford International airport). It was an instructional 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 failure of the nose landing gear due to inadequate servicing of the nose gear strut reservoir.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2011 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Florida · Orlando Sanford International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310F · all 310Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6781X · no longer on the register · serial 310-0081
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and private pilot were performing touch-and-go landings. While retracting the landing gear, they heard a loud bang. The gear-up light illuminated, indicating that all three landing gears were retracted and the doors were closed. The instructor concluded that the noise came from the landing gear doors closing into each other. The flight continued, and two more landings were planned: one touch-and-go and one full stop. The landing gear appeared to operate normally during the touch-and-go. Upon extending the gear for the full stop landing, the gear-down light failed to illuminate. After checking the gear down indicating system, a visual check with the tower controllers confirmed that all three landing gears were in the down position. During touchdown, the nose gear collapsed. A postaccident examination of the nose gear assembly revealed that the nose landing gear strut reservoir lacked air pressure and the fluid level was very low. This underserviced condition caused binding in the nose gear fork assembly and failure of a nose gear push rod, which prevented the nose gear from extending to the full down and locked position.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear strut/axle › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Other/unknown
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Failure
Flight instructor
- 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: 2,400 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,965 as pilot in command; 1,210 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 19, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,245 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 11, 2011; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,600 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor I0-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFB Sanford FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: SFB Sanford FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 9,601 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SFB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.