N987M

On November 16, 2007, about 1340 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 210L, N987M, sustained substantial damage as a result of a left main landing gear collapse during landing roll at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), Santa Barbara, California. The certificated private pilot and his sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight, which was conducted in accordance with 14 CFR Part 91. The flight had departed the Chino Municipal Airport (CNO), Chino, California, about 1230.

The pilot reported that prior to landing he completed the [before] landing checklist and observed the landing gear annunciator light indicating a safe down and locked condition. The pilot stated that during the landing roll the airplane began to veer to the left, followed by the left main landing gear collapsing. The airplane came to rest in an upright position on the north side of the runway, with the left elevator having sustained substantial damage as a result of impacting the runway's surface. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane prior to the flight.

A post-accident examination of the landing gear's extension/retraction system by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, revealed that the left main landing gear down limit switch plunger was bent and stuck in the closed position. The inspector reported that it was observed that the two hydraulic lines to the downlock actuator were in a binding position, preventing the downlock from fully opening to allow the down limit switch to clear the striker plate during the down/extension cycle. The two hoses were subsequently repositioned, which eliminated the binding and resulted in the landing gear operating normally during the extension cycle. The reason for the down limit switch plunger being bent could not be determined. The pilot reported no anomalies existed with the airplane prior to the flight.