What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: N3934W, PA32-260. Interview with pilot on 12-01-97 at Naples, FL. (Apf) in hanger A-80. Pilot, Mr. Edward j. gehrins and passenger gary rogers also a partner in the aircraft and a certificated pilot took off from apf enroute to southwest regional international airport (rsw) to practice approaches. Aircraft departed apf with full fuel. Mr. Gehrins was cleared by rsw tower to perform an ILS approach with option to perform touch and goes. Aircraft landed on mains, nose gear had not fully settled when moderate vibration was felt by pilot and passenger. Pilot applied takeoff power, and accomplished normal takeoff. Control tower notified pilot that the aircraft had lost the RH main gear. Pilot elected to return to apf for landing. Aircraft landed without further incident other than damage caused by the separation of the right main wheel assembly. Inspection of right gear assembly found upper gear cylinder brackets (2) for the torque link attachment suffered a complete separation from the cylinder allowing the l/g cylinder piston and wheel assembly to leave the aircraft. Both horns appear to have cracked from the inside edge to the outside edge. Cracks would have been undetected unless torque links were removed for further ndi inspection. Damage to aircraft: 1. Upper RH MLG strut housing received abrasions due to contact with the runway. 2. Right flap lower skin bent due to contact with RH wheel assembly. 3. Passenger cabin entrance step damaged due to abrasion. Also attach bracket cracked at 90 degree bend radius. 4. Wheel fairing damaged due to abrasions. Log book review: 1. Annual inspection performed on 03/31/97, tat.4967.9, by michael marsh, A&P 46587359IA. 2. A.d.s checked through 97-07. 3. Serviced gear with nitrogen and hyd., fluid 5606 at time of last annual inspection, (03/31/97). 4. AD 72-08-06 detect cracks adjacent to the 21/2 dia., machine boss on torque links accomplished at last annual. 5. AD 67-20-04 c/w by s.b. 248. Released aircraft to owner/pilot, Mr. Edward gehrins at 10:30 am, 12/01/97.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: N3934W, PA32-260. INTERVIEW WITH PILOT ON 12-01-97 AT NAPLES, FL. (APF) IN HANGER A-80. PILOT, MR. EDWARD J. GEHRINS AND PASSENGER GARY ROGERS ALSO A PARTNER IN THE AIRCRAFT AND A CERTIFICATED PILOT TOOK OFF FROM APF ENROUTE TO SOUTHWEST REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (RSW) TO PRACTICE APPROACHES. AIRCRAFT DEPARTED APF WITH FULL FUEL. MR. GEHRINS WAS CLEARED BY RSW TOWER TO PERFORM AN ILS APPROACH WITH OPTION TO PERFORM TOUCH AND GOES. AIRCRAFT LANDED ON MAINS, NOSE GEAR HAD NOT FULLY SETTLED WHEN MODERATE VIBRATION WAS FELT BY PILOT AND PASSENGER. PILOT APPLIED TAKEOFF POWER, AND ACCOMPLISHED NORMAL TAKEOFF. CONTROL TOWER NOTIFIED PILOT THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD LOST THE RH MAIN GEAR. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO APF FOR LANDING. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OTHER THAN DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL ASSEMBLY. INSPECTION OF RIGHT GEAR ASSEMBLY FOUND UPPER GEAR CYLINDER BRACKETS (2) FOR THE TORQUE LINK ATTACHMENT SUFFERED A COMPLETE SEPARATION FROM THE CYLINDER ALLOWING THE L/G CYLINDER PISTON AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO LEAVE THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH HORNS APPEAR TO HAVE CRACKED FROM THE INSIDE EDGE TO THE OUTSIDE EDGE. CRACKS WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDETECTED UNLESS TORQUE LINKS WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER NDI INSPECTION. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT: 1. UPPER RH MLG STRUT HOUSING RECEIVED ABRASIONS DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. 2. RIGHT FLAP LOWER SKIN BENT DUE TO CONTACT WITH RH WHEEL ASSEMBLY. 3. PASSENGER CABIN ENTRANCE STEP DAMAGED DUE TO ABRASION. ALSO ATTACH BRACKET CRACKED AT 90 DEGREE BEND RADIUS. 4. WHEEL FAIRING DAMAGED DUE TO ABRASIONS. LOG BOOK REVIEW: 1. ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED ON 03/31/97, TAT.4967.9, BY MICHAEL MARSH, A&P 46587359IA. 2. A.D.S CHECKED THROUGH 97-07. 3. SERVICED GEAR WITH NITROGEN AND HYD., FLUID 5606 AT TIME OF LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, (03/31/97). 4. AD 72-08-06 DETECT CRACKS ADJACENT TO THE 21/2 DIA., MACHINE BOSS ON TORQUE LINKS ACCOMPLISHED AT LAST ANNUAL. 5. AD 67-20-04 C/W BY S.B. 248. RELEASED AIRCRAFT TO OWNER/PILOT, MR. EDWARD GEHRINS AT 10:30 AM, 12/01/97.