Cessna TR182 N4602S accident near Wichita, Kansas

Probable cause

Maintenance personnel’s improper landing gear system repair, which resulted in a hydraulic leak and subsequent gear collapse during landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during initial climb, the landing gear failed to retract into a locked position. He left the airport traffic area to troubleshoot the landing gear problem, but the gear would not retract or extend properly. He chose to return to the airport to land without the landing gear in the down-and-locked position. During the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, which resulted in damage to the left wing tip and empennage.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a hydraulic line that attached to the forward left side of the actuator was twisted and ruptured, that the hydraulic fluid had leaked from the hose, and that the hydraulic power pack reservoir was empty. Maintenance personnel had conducted maintenance on the landing gear to repair a hydraulic leak from the nose landing gear actuator 5 days before the accident; it is likely maintenance personnel improperly repaired the landing gear system during the maintenance.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN14LA357 for the full record.