# Accident 19980426007649A: Piper PA23250, Fruitland Park, FL, April 26, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 26, 1998, 13:40 local time
- Place: Fruitland Park, FL
- Airport: Flying Palomino Ranch Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.8495° N, 81.8995° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8495&lon=-81.8995&mi=10
- Aircraft: N154CH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N154CH-2013-05-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540C1A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,018 total, 380 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA145) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980426007649A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

RIGHT MAIN GEAR FOR AND ROD ASSEMBLY FAILED ON LANDING. VEERED OFF RUNWAY HIT OBJECTS. A FENCE AND POST. (-23) LANDING RIGHT MAIN GEAR FORK ASSEMBLY FAILED SPUN OFF RUNWAY. OLD FATIGUE CRACK. (.4) AFTER A REPORT OF A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN ON THE GRASS RUNWAY, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FORK AND ROD ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE RIGHT WING DROPPED, CONTACTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND COLLIDED WITH OBSTRUCTIONS. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED FORK AND ROD ASSEMBLY, AND AN BOLT, REVEALED THAT THE FORK FAILED DUE TO OVERSTRESS AND THE BOLT FAILED IN SHEAR.  NO PREEXISTING CRACKS WERE NOTED IN THE FAILED FORK OR BOLT.                               (-23) PILOT EXTENDED GEARS FOR LANDING ON 27R AT FRUITLAND PARK, FL. 3 GREEN GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS ON. AT TOUCH DOWN RIGHT WING DROPPED AND AIRCRAFT SPUN OFF THE RUNWAY AND STOPPED ON GRASS AFTER GETTING TANGLED IN BARB WIRE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT BROKE AT INNER CYLINDER ATTACH POINT. PART SHIPPED TO NTSB WASHINGTON FOR ANALYSIS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA98LA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA145), Apr 26, 1998: Piper PA-23-250 (N154CH), Fruitland Park, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's failure to attain the proper rate of descent at touchdown.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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