Cessna 210L incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, June 25, 1990
On June 25, 1990 at about 4:27 pm local time, a Cessna 210L, registered N732BL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale Executive 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INCORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE RETAINING RING IN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR BY THE MECHANIC RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF HYDRAULIC FLUID. THIS PREVENTED THE GEAR FROM EXTENDING RESULTING IN THE GEAR UP LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 1990 · about 4:27 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210L · all 210Ls on the register
- Registration
- N732BL · no longer on the register · serial 21061386
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER DEPARTURE, THE PLT RAISED THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE BUT THE GEAR DID NOT FULLY RETRACT. HYDRAULIC FLUID AS ADDED IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETRACT THE GEAR BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO THE DESTINATION WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE GEAR BY THE EMERGENCY METHOD BUT WAS UNABLE. A GEAR UP LANDING WAS PERFORMED. EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE PISTON & ROD OF THE LT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR EXITED THE CYLINDER DUE TO INCORRECT INSTALLATON OF THE RETAINING RING. THIS ALLOWED HYDRAULIC FLUID TO LEAK, DEPLETING THE SUPPLY. THE ACTUATOR WAS OVERHAULED 6 HRS & 3 CYCLES EARLIER. 47 SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORTS & ACCIDENT/INCIDENT REPORTS FROM 1/1/84 TO 6/26/90, INDICATED 8 FAILURES DUE TO A DISLODGED RETAINING RING.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,550 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,737 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 1990; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Cont IO-520-L3B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTH Marathon FL at 12:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:25 pm from FXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N732BL 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.