Pilot of an small aircraft sel lost a main landing gear door during descent causing skin damage to t...

Attributes
ACN	322901
Time
Date	199512
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ugn
State Reference	IL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : pit
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	322901
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On an 8 mi visual approach to ugn, left main gear door came apart and slammed into the side of aircraft. I did not originally know cause of impact and continued vibration. I stopped descent as I was over water (lake michigan), notified chicago approach and then evaluated situation. Found sheet metal damage aft left fuselage. There were ribbons of metal flapping. Reduced power, approach and landing normal except 10 degree flaps (diverted airflow struck damaged area). Had FBO maintenance department remove cover and reset vacuum regulator (latter unrelated). Work accomplished without comment. Dec/xx/95 flew from ugn-cid uneventful. Xa:00 return to airport and am met by 2 FAA inspectors and questioned about missing gear door. Explained previously described incident to inspector, showed medical, airworthiness certificate, registration. Ask for pilot certificate. Checked briefcase and discovered it was missing (briefcase underwent warranty repair and pilot certificate inadvertently left out). Explained to inspector and provided certificate number. Obtained ferry permit. Delay by FAA 1 1/2 hours past promised ETA. Delay from frozen mixture control 1 1/2 hours. Takeoff and flight uneventful, however, landing took place in darkness and on putting down gear on final, lost all electrical power, no flaps no lights, no communication. No time to find flashlight. Landed by external visual reference. No flaps. Landing uneventful. Took first high speed taxiway. Followed to parking by rescue vehicles. Possible remedies: 1) ad to remove early C210 gear doors. 2) reduce size of pilot certificate to credit card size so it fits in wallet. 3) add battery disconnect switch so as to avoid battery damage from disuse.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL LOST A MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR DURING DSCNT CAUSING SKIN DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, FLEW ACFT WITHOUT A FERRY PERMIT.

Narrative: ON AN 8 MI VISUAL APCH TO UGN, L MAIN GEAR DOOR CAME APART AND SLAMMED INTO THE SIDE OF ACFT. I DID NOT ORIGINALLY KNOW CAUSE OF IMPACT AND CONTINUED VIBRATION. I STOPPED DSCNT AS I WAS OVER WATER (LAKE MICHIGAN), NOTIFIED CHICAGO APCH AND THEN EVALUATED SIT. FOUND SHEET METAL DAMAGE AFT L FUSELAGE. THERE WERE RIBBONS OF METAL FLAPPING. REDUCED PWR, APCH AND LNDG NORMAL EXCEPT 10 DEG FLAPS (DIVERTED AIRFLOW STRUCK DAMAGED AREA). HAD FBO MAINT DEPT REMOVE COVER AND RESET VACUUM REGULATOR (LATTER UNRELATED). WORK ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT COMMENT. DEC/XX/95 FLEW FROM UGN-CID UNEVENTFUL. XA:00 RETURN TO ARPT AND AM MET BY 2 FAA INSPECTORS AND QUESTIONED ABOUT MISSING GEAR DOOR. EXPLAINED PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED INCIDENT TO INSPECTOR, SHOWED MEDICAL, AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE, REGISTRATION. ASK FOR PLT CERTIFICATE. CHKED BRIEFCASE AND DISCOVERED IT WAS MISSING (BRIEFCASE UNDERWENT WARRANTY REPAIR AND PLT CERTIFICATE INADVERTENTLY LEFT OUT). EXPLAINED TO INSPECTOR AND PROVIDED CERTIFICATE NUMBER. OBTAINED FERRY PERMIT. DELAY BY FAA 1 1/2 HRS PAST PROMISED ETA. DELAY FROM FROZEN MIXTURE CTL 1 1/2 HRS. TKOF AND FLT UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER, LNDG TOOK PLACE IN DARKNESS AND ON PUTTING DOWN GEAR ON FINAL, LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR, NO FLAPS NO LIGHTS, NO COM. NO TIME TO FIND FLASHLIGHT. LANDED BY EXTERNAL VISUAL REF. NO FLAPS. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. TOOK FIRST HIGH SPD TXWY. FOLLOWED TO PARKING BY RESCUE VEHICLES. POSSIBLE REMEDIES: 1) AD TO REMOVE EARLY C210 GEAR DOORS. 2) REDUCE SIZE OF PLT CERTIFICATE TO CREDIT CARD SIZE SO IT FITS IN WALLET. 3) ADD BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH SO AS TO AVOID BATTERY DAMAGE FROM DISUSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of an small aircraft sel lost a main landing gear door during descent causing skin damage to the aircraft. Subsequently, flew aircraft without a ferry permit.