19971112039969A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172RG · San Diego, CA · November 12, 1997

Date: November 12, 1997 · 11:30 local
Place: San Diego, CA
Airport: Montgomery Field Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9451D
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA036
Reported as: Cessna 172RG
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 382 total54 in this make and model157 in the last 90 days

N9451DRegistration cancelled Sep 8, 1999 · Cessna 172RGS/N 172RG1167 Airframe modelCessna 172RG

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.

Left main gear collapsed landing. (.4)the pilot and his instructor visually checked that the landing gear was down. On the landing roll the aircraft started to vibrate, and then rotated to the left. The instructor pilot shut down the engine and the right landing gear collapsed. The main gear actuator piston for the left main landing gear was found broken. A determination as to when the actuator piston was broken could not be made due to the extent of the damage. An examination of the aircraft logbook revealed that the main landing gear actuator piston had accumulated 1,530.2 hours since installation. The aircraft was examined on-scene with no further anomalies noted. An examination found beach marks on the fracture surface characteristic of a fatigue crack growth. The examination revealed that the fracture outside of the fatigue region was the result of a single event overload and not due to the fatigue crack.

As the FAA filed it

LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT AND HIS INSTRUCTOR VISUALLY CHECKED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN. ON THE LANDING ROLL THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO VIBRATE, AND THEN ROTATED TO THE LEFT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE MAIN GEAR ACTUATOR PISTON FOR THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND BROKEN. A DETERMINATION AS TO WHEN THE ACTUATOR PISTON WAS BROKEN COULD NOT BE MADE DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOK REVEALED THAT THE MAIN LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR PISTON HAD ACCUMULATED 1,530.2 HOURS SINCE INSTALLATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED ON-SCENE WITH NO FURTHER ANOMALIES NOTED. AN EXAMINATION FOUND BEACH MARKS ON THE FRACTURE SURFACE CHARACTERISTIC OF A FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH. THE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FRACTURE OUTSIDE OF THE FATIGUE REGION WAS THE RESULT OF A SINGLE EVENT OVERLOAD AND NOT DUE TO THE FATIGUE CRACK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA036Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Diego, CAOverload of the main gear actuator piston and the subsequent collapse of the landing gear.Nov 12, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9451D · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19990329002839AFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Camarillo, CAAcft experienced an engine failure the pilot made an emergency landing in a field, and the acft came to rest inverted, other circumstances are unknown. (From .19) on March 29, 1999, about 1450 hours pacific standard time, a Cessna 172RG, N9451D, sustained…Mar 29, 1999 · Substantial damage