Cessna 402C incident near Nantucket, Massachusetts, August 31, 2012
On August 31, 2012 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N769EA, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near Nantucket, Massachusetts (Nantucket Memorial Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Company maintenance personnel’s failure to comply with the airplane manufacturer’s service instructions by not removing the cracked drag brace from service nor inspecting the repaired drag brace at the appropriate interval, which resulted in the failure of the nose landing gear drag brace due to fatigue cracking and collapse of the nose landing gear during the landing roll. Contributing to the failure of the nose landing gear drag brace was the failure of the repair station to detect a remaining portion of a crack following repair.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2012 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nantucket, Massachusetts · Nantucket Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N769EA · registry record · serial 402C0303
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on approach for a full-stop landing, the pilot extended the landing gear and performed the Before Landing checklist. The airplane landed on its main landing gear, and then, as the pilot lowered the nose, it continued to lower until it contacted the runway. Postincident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear drag brace failed near the nose landing gear actuator attachment lug due to a fatigue crack. A review of maintenance records revealed that a crack in the nose landing gear drag brace was repaired in June 2011 and that, following the repair, the drag brace had been installed on two other company airplanes. In July 2012, the nose landing gear drag brace was removed from the second airplane for inspection, during which, a 1/8-inch-long shallow crack was found near the actuator attachment lugs. The crack was blended in accordance with Cessna Service Bulletin MEB91-11, Revision 1, and then a fluorescent dye penetrant inspection of the area was performed. The inspection did not detect any further cracks; however, it is likely that, at this time, some portion of the crack remained. After the drag brace was returned to service, it was installed on the incident airplane on August 3, 2012. Subsequently, the nose landing gear drag brace was visually inspected in-situ twice; however, neither inspection identified the fatigue crack. At the time of the incident, the airplane had been operated for about 286 cycles since the crack repair in July 2012, which exceeded the 250-cycle inspection interval specified by MEB91-11R1. It is likely that, if the nose landing gear drag brace had been inspected after 250 landings in accordance with the manufacturer's service instructions, the crack would have been detected at that time. Additionally, if the operator had incorporated into its maintenance program Supplemental Inspection 32-20-00, which stated, in part, that the nose landing gear drag braces should be inspected using visual and eddy current inspections and that repair or modification of cracked nose landing gear drag braces was not allowed, it is likely that the nose landing gear drag brace would have been removed from service in July 2012.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail landing gear › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Post maintenance inspection › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
- cause Organizational issues › Management › Scheduling › Maintenance scheduling › Operator
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,450 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 1,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 28,075 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 27, 2012; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,210 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520-VB (piston); 1,683 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors, Inc. TSIO-520-VB (piston); 1,416 hours total
- Operator: Hyannis Air Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: HYA Hyannis MA at 8:08 pm
- Destination: ACK Nantucket MA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 24, 6,303 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ACK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 9 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N769EA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.