LAX94LA276

Factual narrative

On July 5, 1994, at 1203 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 310J, N310BD, lost control and veered off runway 23 after the right main landing gear collapsed at the Elko Municipal Airport, Elko, Nevada. The airplane was being operated by Copper State Air Service, Inc., Mesa, Arizona, as an on-demand air cargo flight under 14 CFR Part 135. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot was not injured. The flight originated in Lovelock, Nevada. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The automated weather observation station at the Elko Municipal Airport was reporting the winds from 250 degrees at 25 knots gusting to 31 knots about 10 minutes before the accident. Examination of the right main landing gear by an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the bolt that attaches the right hand bellcrank to the landing gear strut was sheared in two places. The bolt sheared on either side of the bellcrank at the point between the bellcrank and the strut casting. A solid pin joins the bellcrank to the side brace lock link. The lock link fits between the two ears of the bellcrank. The pin appeared to be intact and looked as if it hadn't been removed for several years, or at least since that portion of the airplane was last painted. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NORMALLY AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE ROLLOUT. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR REVEALED THAT THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE RIGHT HAND BELLCRANK TO THE LANDING GEAR STRUT WAS SHEARED IN TWO PLACES. THE BOLT SHEARED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BELLCRANK AT THE POINT BETWEEN THE BELLCRANK AND THE STRUT CASTING. A SOLID PIN JOINS THE BELLCRANK TO THE SIDE BRACE LOCK LINK. THE LOCK LINK FITS BETWEEN THE TWO EARS OF THE BELLCRANK. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12