Cessna 210L accident near Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania, July 11, 2017
On July 11, 2017 at about 3:10 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 210L, registered N732FJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the left landing gear door actuator, which resulted in a loss of all hydraulic pressure and subsequent gear collapse on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2017 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania · Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L M, built 1976 · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N732FJ · registry record · serial 21061478
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff, the pilot placed the landing gear handle in the up position; the gear started to retract, but the cycle never completed. The pilot attempted to recycle the gear back into the down position without success and subsequently used the manual emergency landing gear extension hand pump without success. He discussed the situation with a mechanic, and they determined that there was likely no hydraulic fluid in the system and no corrective action to remedy the situation. The pilot diverted to a nearby airport and performed a tower flyby, which confirmed that the gear were down and dangling but not locked. Upon touchdown, the landing gear folded back. The airplane tilted left and skidded to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the left stabilizer, left elevator, and left wingtip. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left landing gear door actuator had failed, and hydraulic fluid was observed in and around the left landing gear well. Subsequent maintenance revealed that a c-clip that held a cap in place at the end of the actuator had failed, which resulted in the release of the hydraulic fluid and pressure and subsequently prevented the landing gear system, including the manual emergency landing gear extension hand pump, from operating. The failure of the actuator component released all hydraulic pressure from the system, and the landing gear could not be extended into the down-and-locked position, which resulted in a gear collapse upon landing.
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)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear actuator › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,042 hours in all; 5,120 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 13, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,719 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 19, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,803 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 SERIES (piston); 1,465 hours total
- Operator: Irf LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MMU Morristown NJ at 10:00 am
- Destination: AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 22, 7,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,700 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 4:34 pm from AVP, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA17LA239.