Cessna 560XL incident near San Jose, California, August 29, 2017
On August 29, 2017 at about 2:00 am local time, a 2003 Cessna 560XL, registered N503UP, suffered minor damage in an incident during landing (landing roll) near San Jose, California (Norman Y Mineta San Jose Intl airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The mechanic’s incorrect installation of the right main landing gear (MLG) aft trunnion pivot pin, which resulted in the pin separating from the trunnion, the trunnion puncturing the right wing, and the right MLG collapsing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 29, 2017 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- San Jose, California · Norman Y Mineta San Jose Intl · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 560XL ENCORE, built 2003 · all 560XLs on the register
- Registration
- N503UP · no longer on the register · serial 560-5326
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and copilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane bounced and then veered right and that the pilot then corrected back to the runway centerline. The copilot added that the airplane’s right side seemed to “dip” as it continued to pull right, and the pilot added that the airplane’s right side was lower than its left side, so they assumed that the right main landing gear (MLG) had a flat tire. Subsequently, the pilot was able to taxi the airplane off the runway and park it on a taxiway, and the passengers disembarked without incident. Examination of the airplane revealed that the aft portion of the right MLG trunnion was protruding through the top of the right wing and that the MLG strut and wheel were positioned out and aft in about a 45° angle from their original position. The right MLG trunnion aft pivot pin was not in the trunnion but remained in the trunnion mount in the aft wing spar; it was easily removed from the mount by hand. The retaining bolt used to keep the pivot pin in the trunnion was in place and secured with a nut and cotter pin. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the left and right MLG trunnions had been replaced with new trunnions and trunnion pivot pins 8 days before the incident. The mechanic who performed the work stated that, after installing the right MLG aft trunnion pivot pin, it must have shifted aft when he went to install the bolt through the pin. He stated that an “air-pocket” must have developed and pushed the pin back out. He added that the pin looked fully engaged and that he noted no faults during postmaintenance operational checks. Therefore, based on the evidence, it is likely that, after the mechanic installed the right MLG aft trunnion pivot pin, it backed out, which led to the retaining bolt not being installed in the hole in the pivot pin and resulted in the pin separating from the trunnion, the trunnion puncturing the right wing, and the right MLG collapsing. Following the incident, the airplane manufacturer revised the trunnion pivot pin installation procedures in the Airplane Maintenance Manual. The revision included, in part, a step for maintenance personnel to visually check and ensure that the bolt is visible when looking through the pivot pin from the aft side and that, if it is not visible, to remove it, ensure that the pivot pin is fully installed in the trunnion assembly, and reinstall the bolt.
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
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Misc hardware › Fasteners › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,248 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,715 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 20, 2017
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PW545 SER (turbojet); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PW545 SER (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ at 8:36 pm
- Destination: SJC San Jose CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 30L, 11,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KSJC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on January 13, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Officer-written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot-written Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Mechanic, Post Examination-written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Mechanics-written Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Logbooks-excerpts | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Email on Safety Changes | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Manual Excerpts-changes in Blue | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Maintenance Manual Excerpts-additional Changes in Blue | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation-textron Aviation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo Array-accident Site | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.
