Cessna 310R accident near Great Falls, Montana, September 28, 2010
On September 28, 2010 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Cessna 310R, registered N455TB, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Great Falls, Montana (Great Falls International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The uncommanded retraction of the right main landing gear during taxi due to the failure of the landing gear extension system to move the right main gear upper side link into the locked position for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2010 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Great Falls, Montana · Great Falls International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310R · all 310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N455TB · registry record · serial 310R1860
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on approach to his planned destination, the pilot lowered the landing gear handle, but the green "gear down" light for the right main landing gear did not illuminate, and the "gear in transition" light stayed on. After checking the "gear down" light, which illuminated when pushed, the pilot reached the conclusion that the problem was most likely a bad gear position indicator switch, which was a problem he had experienced before. The pilot then considered cycling the landing gear, but decided not to do so in case there was something broken in the system that might result in the right main gear remaining up once it was retracted. He then executed an uneventful landing and rollout, which included slowing to his normal taxi speed. At that point he turned off the runway onto the taxiway, and as he began to straighten the airplane to follow the taxiway centerline, the right main gear to folded back, causing the right wing to impacted the taxiway. A postaccident inspection determined that the right main gear upper side link (over-center lock) had not moved fully to its locked position, and that the side-loads generated by the turn to align with the taxiway were transferred to the gear activation system. The transfer of those loads then resulted in the overload failure of the right main gear strut-mounted bellcrank. It could not be determined what caused the right main landing gear activation linkage to be far enough out of adjustment as to result in the upper side link not moving to its fully locked position.
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 taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Malfunction
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,466 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 114 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 1,339 as pilot in command; 622 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,561 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 5,680 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYQL Lethbridge at 12:20 pm
- Destination: KGTF Great Falls MT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 10,502 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 24 knots, gusting 34
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N455TB 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.