Probable cause
The failure of the landing gear push-pull rod.
NTSB analysis
During an instructional flight the student pilot performed four uneventful touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings at one airport and then proceeded to another airport to make a soft-field landing on the grass runway. When the landing gear was extended, the landing gear indicator light did not illuminate. The annunciator lights were checked (press-to-test) and operated normally. He confirmed that the nose landing gear was only partially extended by looking in the convex mirrors mounted in on the engine nacelles. After the pilots cycled the landing gear several times and attempted to perform a manual extension least three times, the certificated flight instructor landed the airplane and the nose gear folded. A postaccident inspection revealed that the push-pull rod that connects the gear transmission to the nose gear had separated, damaging the wing spar and several fuselage ribs.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN10LA567 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 18, 2010
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Denton, Texas
- Nearest airport
- Denton Municipal (DTO)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 320
- N-number
- N56VP
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.