Cessna 402C incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 1, 1992
On March 1, 1992 at about 5:09 pm local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N6786C, suffered minor damage in an incident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Ft.Lauderdale-Hollywood airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER OVERHAUL BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND INACCURATE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 1992 · about 5:09 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Ft.Lauderdale-Hollywood · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N6786C · no longer on the register · serial 402C0413
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AFTER IT WAS LOWERED TO THE RWY DURING THE LANDING ROLL. EXAM OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ASSY BY AN FAA MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR WAS NOT DAMAGED. IT WAS REMOVED FOR EXAM. DISASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT AN EXTRA PACKING (SIMILAR TO AN O-RING) WAS INSTALLED. THIS ALLOWED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE BUT SHUT THE MOTOR OFF BEFORE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS FULLY EXTENDED. REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE LOGBOOKS INDICATE THAT A PROGRESSIVE INSPECTION WAS SIGNED OFF TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE INSPECTION IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR SWITCH WAS LEAKING. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION INDICATES THAT THE O-RINGS WERE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO THE ILLUSTRATED PARTS LIST OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR, TWO PACKINGS ARE INSTALLED. ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE, THE MECHANIC RESPONSIBLE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE PACKINGS WAS PROVIDED WITH TWO, BUT ONLY REMOVED ONE FROM THE ACTUATOR. THIS RESULTED IN THE EXTRA PACKING. THE ACFT HAD ACCUMULATED 4 HRS & 6 CYCLES SINCE THE INSPECTION 2 DAYS EARLIER.
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, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,498 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 27, 1992; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,850 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-VB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Airways International
The flight
- Departed from: MIA Miami FL at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,276 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:13 pm from FLL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.