Cessna 320E accident near Stockton, California, April 1, 2007
On April 1, 2007 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 320E, registered N3424Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stockton, California (Stockton Metropolitan airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The landing gear collapsed during taxi as a result of incorrect rigging of the landing gear by other maintenance personnel that prevented the landing gear downlock from functioning as designed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2007 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Stockton, California · Stockton Metropolitan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320E · all 320Es on the register
- Registration
- N3424Q · no longer on the register · serial 0024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While exiting the runway after landing, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the runway. The pilot reported that this was the first flight after an annual inspection in which the landing gear had been rigged. In addition, he had the failed components sent to a metallurgical laboratory. The owner submitted these findings to the Safety Board. The inspection report indicated that the right main landing gear had been rigged so that the gear tension terminated prematurely. This prevented the downlock link from reaching its full over center, locked position. This caused the side loads on the landing gear to be transmitted through other landing gear linkage components, instead of through the downlock link. The other components were not designed to carry those loads, and consequently failed in overload, resulting in the collapse of the landing gear while taxiing off the runway.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,046 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 2,959 as pilot in command; 283 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,128.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2007; 0.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520-B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPU San Andreas CA at 5:45 pm
- Destination: SCK Stockton CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from SCK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.