NTSB ATL89IA104 — 1989-03-14 · SAVANNAH, Georgia, United States

Current FAA registration · N52800

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

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N52800 Cessna 177RG None

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 ↗.

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