19970530017189I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA60601P · Cheswold, DE · May 30, 1997

Date: May 30, 1997 · 17:49 local
Place: Cheswold, DE
Airport: Private
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N6070U
Reported as: Piper PA60601P
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,263 total500 in this make and model48 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: the pilot reported that he heard a loud bang as the main landing gear touched down. He immediately felt the aircraft drift left, he applied right rudder and aileron but the aircraft still went left. The left propeller struck the runway, the aircraft continued to veer left, across a grassy area and came to rest in a corn field perpendicular to the runway. An on sight investigation was conducted. An inspection of the aircraft revealed that on landing the left main landing gear rear trunnion support was broken loose and exited the aircraft through the top of the wing. The left main gear rotated rearward causing the left wing to drop. The left propeller struck the runway bending the propeller. Evidence shows failure of landing gear to be caused by impact. privacy data omitted I consider this incident closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AS THE MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN. HE IMMEDIATELY FELT THE AIRCRAFT DRIFT LEFT, HE APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND AILERON BUT THE AIRCRAFT STILL WENT LEFT. THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO VEER LEFT, ACROSS A GRASSY AREA AND CAME TO REST IN A CORN FIELD PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY. AN ON SIGHT INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT ON LANDING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR REAR TRUNNION SUPPORT WAS BROKEN LOOSE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE TOP OF THE WING. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR ROTATED REARWARD CAUSING THE LEFT WING TO DROP. THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY BENDING THE PROPELLER. EVIDENCE SHOWS FAILURE OF LANDING GEAR TO BE CAUSED BY IMPACT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ I CONSIDER THIS INCIDENT CLOSED.