Cessna 310J accident near Tucson, Arizona, October 10, 2015
On October 10, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 310J, registered N3123L, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl 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 insufficient right main landing gear (MLG) down-lock tension due to maintenance personnel's failure to perform a rigging procedure during the airplane's most recent inspection, which resulted in the right MLG collapsing during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2015 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310J, built 1965 · all 310Js on the register
- Registration
- N3123L · no longer on the register · serial 310J0123
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot and his passenger were returning to the airport after a 30-minute personal flight. The pilot reported that he configured the airplane for landing but that the landing gear down indication did not illuminate. The pilot cycled the landing gear several times, but the landing gear down indication still did not illuminate. After an air traffic controller confirmed that the landing gear was down, the pilot chose to initiate the landing. The airplane touched down uneventfully, but, about 3 seconds later, the right main landing gear (MLG) collapsed. The airplane subsequently veered right and departed the right side of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the right aileron and elevator. A postaccident examination of the landing gear system revealed that the right MLG down-lock tension was about 30 lbs less than the tension prescribed by the airplane's service manual. The fork bolt normally used to adjust the down-lock tension was covered in dirt and oil. Examination also revealed that the MLG nonadjustable drive tube had separated outboard a few inches from a clevis fitting. The signatures on the tube indicated that it failed in compression on the forward/aft plane. A review of maintenance records revealed that the airplane's last annual inspection occurred about 4 months before the accident. The condition of the fork bolt indicates that it had not been adjusted during this inspection. Further, the pilot reported that the rigging procedure in the service manual, which included an item to verify the landing gear down-lock brace tension, was not used during any recent inspections. Maintenance personnel's failure to perform the rigging procedure during the airplane's most recent annual inspection likely led to the insufficient down-lock tension and the drive tube's failure and the subsequent collapse of the right MLG due to the compression forces experienced upon touchdown.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service › Maintenance/inspections › Scheduled maint checks › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,350 hours in all; 1,650 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 2.2 in the last 30 days; 3,285 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 7, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,068.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2015; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,099 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental Motors IO 520 E (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental Motors IO 520 E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Leading Edge Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 5:30 pm
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 8,408 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from TUS
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.
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.