NTSB NYC91LA027 — 1990-11-12 · PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, United States

Current FAA registration · N54SA

Make / Model: CESSNA 404
Seats / Engines: 8 seats · 2 engines
Last airworthiness date: 19790613
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A6D724

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N54SA Cessna 404 None

Probable cause & findings

A FAILURE OF NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION CYLINDER ATTACH POINTS WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE.

Factual narrative

THE CESSNA 404 OPERATING ON A CARGO FLIGHT TOUCHED DOWN AND THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE FAA EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND THE ATTACH POINTS FOR THE NOSE LANDING GEAR RETRACTION CYLINDER HAD RIPPED OUT. THE BOLT HOLES SHOWED SIGNS OF WORKING AND WERE WORN. IN ADDITION, THEY REPORTED THE MAINTENANCE MANUAL REFERENCE TO THE AREA IS GENERAL IN NATURE. THE LOCATION OF THE FAILURE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO VIEW DURING INSPECTION DUE TO LIMITED ACCESS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC91LA027.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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