Cessna 310Q accident near Atlantic City, New Jersey, January 31, 2007
On January 31, 2007 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Cessna 310Q, registered N20SS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlantic City, New Jersey (Atlantic City International Ai airport). It was an executive or corporate 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 inoperative safe gear indicator light switch. Contributing to the accident was the pilot hand-cranking the landing gear past the physical stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2007 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic City, New Jersey · Atlantic City International Ai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310Q · all 310Qs on the register
- Registration
- N20SS · registry record · serial 310Q0521
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After deployment of the landing gear prior to landing, the pilot noticed an unsafe gear indication. He recycled the landing gear and again got an unsafe condition. The pilot then hand-cranked the gear to the down position, but cranked it through the physical stop, breaking it. At touchdown, the left main landing gear was in an "over-center" condition, and collapsed, which caused substantial damage to the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed a broken tab on the left main landing gear "squat" switch, which rendered the safe gear indicator inoperative.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,295 hours in all; 430 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 6,804 as pilot in command; 6,260 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,236 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2006; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental IO-470-V6B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental IO470V6B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ESN Easton MD at 4:00 pm
- Destination: ACY Atlantic City NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from ACY
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.