# Incident 19980705025629I: Cessna A185F, Homer, AK, July 5, 1998 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 5, 1998, 14:00 local time - Place: Homer, AK - Airport: Homer Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: X53A - Location: 59.3999° N, 151.3203° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.3999&lon=-151.3203&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3347L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3347L) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna A185E (registry code 2072818, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185e) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA A185F - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 5,776 total, 380 in this make and model, 127 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC98IA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98IA096) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980705025629I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. RIGHT MAIN GEAR BROKE TURNING OFF RUNWAY AFTER LANDING. GEAR SSENT FOR ANALYSIS. (-5)ON JULY 5, 1998, ABOUT 1400 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 AIRPLANE, N3347L, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHILE TAXIING AT THE HOMER AIRPORT, HOMER, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ON DEMAND PASSENGER FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 135, WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT, AND THE TWO PASSENGERS ABOARD WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED, AND VFR COMPANY FLIGHT FOLLOWING PROCEDURES WERE IN EFFECT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE SELDOVIA AIRPORT, SELDOVIA, ALASKA, ABOUT 1345. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON JULY5, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT SHE HAD JUST LANDED ON RUNWAY 21. SHE STATED THAT AFTER ROLLOUT SHE MADE A LEFT TURN TO EXIT THE RUNWAY, AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG BROKE. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND AND SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. A METALLURGICAL INSPECTION OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE BROKEN GEAR LEG WAS CONDUCTED AT THE NTSB LABORATORY, AND REVEALED FATIGUE CRACK ORIGIN SITES WITHIN THE UPPER ATTACHING BOLT HOLE WALLS. A SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE (SEM) EXAMINATION REVEALED FATIGUE CRACKS INITIATING FROM MULTIPLE CORROSION PITS LOCATED WITHIN THE BOLT HOLE WALLS. HARDNESS TEST PERFORMED ON THE NUMBERED FACE OF THE LANDING GEAR LEG RANGED FORM 42.3 TO 51.2 HRC, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 47 HRC. THE SPECIFIED HRC RANGE IS 48.3 TO 50.0 HRC. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT ON AUGUST 29, 1992, THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A GROUND LOOP ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND WAS REBUILT OVER THE NEXT 6 YEARS. THE OPERATOR NOTED THAT WHILE THE AIRPLANE WAS UNDERGOING REPAIRS, BOTH GEAR LEGS WERE REMOVED AND DYE-PENETRANT INSPECTION WERE PERFORMED. NO ANOMALIES WERE DETECTED, AND THE GEAR LEGS WERE REINSTALLED, AND PLACED BACK IN SERVICE. SHE SAID THAT THE BROKEN GEAR LEG HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 300 HOURS IN SERVICE SINCE THE 1992 ACCIDENT, AND SUBSEQUENT DYE-PENETRANT INSPECTION. SHE ADDED ATH PRIOR TO THE 1992 GROUND LOOP ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN EXTENSIVE WHEEL/SKI OPERATIONS. AT THE PRESENT TIME, CESSNA MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES DO NOT HAVE REQUIRED INSPECTION INTERVALS OR LIFE LIMITS ON LANDING GEAR LEGS. CESSNA 185 LANDING GEAR LEGS ARE CON SIDERED "ON CONDITION" ITEMS. ## 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 ANC98IA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC98IA096), Jul 5, 1998: Cessna 185 (N3347L), Homer, AK, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: The failure of the right main landing gear leg due to corrosion pitting and fatigue. ## Other reports on N3347L (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19920829033999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920829033999A), Aug 29, 1992: Cessna A185E (N3347L), Yakutat, AK, Substantial damage. Ground looped on landing. Pilot believed passenger hit brake but passenger denied same. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.