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Atlas / NTSB / ATL89IA104

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ATL89IA104

1989-03-14 SAVANNAH, Georgia, United States Airport · SAV None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N52800

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA 177RG

Year of manufacture

1977 · 12 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING IO-360-A1B6D (200 hp)

Seats / Engines

4 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19771107

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A6A917

Registrant of record

JACKSON ROYALTIES INC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

FATIGUE-INDUCED FRACTURE OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR ROD END.

Factual narrative

THE AIRPLANE LANDED GEAR-UP AFTER THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE GEAR USING THE NORMAL OR EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEMS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER THE MISHAP REVEALED THAT THE MLG ACTUATOR ROD END HAD FRACTURED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURE SURFACE REVEALED PROGRESSIVE FATIGUE CRACKING THROUGH THE THREADED SHANK. IN 1979, CESSNA HAD ISSUED A SERVICE LETTER RECOMMENDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS P/N ROD END WITH A NEW, HIGH-STRENGTH ROD END. COMPLIANCE WITH THE SERVICE LETTER WAS NOT MANDATORY. EXAMINATION OF SDR'S FROM 1983 TO 1989 REVEALED NO HISTORY OF SIMILAR FAILURES INVOLVING THE OLD P/N ROD END. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ATL89IA104.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.