N2306D

On March 29, 1996, about 1037 eastern standard time, a Cessna 210, N2306D, registered to a private owner, operated by the U.S. Customs Service, on a public-use patrol flight, crashed on landing at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an agency flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot-in-command and airline transport-rated copilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Jacksonville, Florida, about 47 minutes before the accident. The accident was initially classified as an incident and was upgraded to an accident on April 10, 1996.

The pilot stated he made an uneventful full flap approach and touch down to the runway. The airplane continued down the runway and yawed abruptly to the left. Right rudder was applied with negative results. The airplane went off the left side of the runway, pitched up on its nose, and came to rest on the main landing gear.

Examination of the nose gear steering revealed no evidence of a precrash mechanical failure or malfunction.

Examination of tire marks by the U.S. Customs Safety Officer on runway 27 revealed N2306D touched down on the runway nose first about 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway followed by the left main landing gear about 50 feet later. The distance between the nose wheel tire marks and the left main tire mark demonstrates that there was a severe side load imposed on the nose gear (18 inches between tire marks versus the normal 4 feet 4 inches between tires). Fifty feet later the right main tire mark begins and it is about 4 feet in distance from the nose wheel mark. The tire marks show that the aircraft traveled another 100 feet (1,200 feet from the approach end) on all three tires before departing the runway on an approximate 240-degree heading. (For additional information see U. S. Customs Safety Officer Statement.)