Cessna T310R accident near San Luis Obispo, California, September 16, 2013
On September 16, 2013 at about 2:51 am local time, a 1975 Cessna T310R, registered N712SB, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near San Luis Obispo, California (San Luis County Rgnl 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 pilot's inadvertent action of retracting the landing gear instead of the flaps during the landing roll, which resulted in the right main landing gear collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2013 · about 2:51 am local time
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, California · San Luis County Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T310R, built 1975 · all T310Rs on the register
- Registration
- N712SB · registry record · serial 310R0122
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll of his second uneventful landing, the right main landing gear started to shimmy. He slowed the airplane and proceeded towards the nearest taxiway. Before exiting the runway, the pilot went to retract the flaps when he inadvertently raised the landing gear handle. He quickly re-lowered the landing gear handle; however, the right main landing gear had already started to retract. The airplane veered to the right, exited the runway surface, and came to rest on the grass. The airplane's right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Unintentional use/operation
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,495 hours in all; 760 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,389 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 24, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,795 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2012; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,680 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520 SERI (piston); 3,539 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520 SERI (piston); 3,650 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: SBP San Luis Obispo CA at 2:30 am
- Destination: SBP San Luis Obispo CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 6,100 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from SBP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR13CA413.