What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft was practicing touch and go landing when it struck a rwy marker sign and lost the left main landing gear on takeoff, the acft flew for about one hour before landing. (.19) on August 2, 1998, at 1345 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N8398R, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged when its left main landing gear collided with an airport runway marking sign during takeoff from a touch and go landing maneuver on runway 20 (4,395' x 60' dry asphalt) at the Laporte Municipal Airport, Laporte, Indiana. The left main landing gear separated from the main spar and fell from the airplane. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Laporte, Indiana, exact time unknown. (.4)the student pilot said the airplane drifted beyond the runway's edge due to a sudden gust of wind from the airplane's right side. The airplane's left main landing gear collided with a runway marking sign shortly after the pilot applied full power for a go around. The landing gear separated from the wing's main spar attach point and fell to the earth. The pilot flew the airplane for about 1-hour after the accident returning to the airport and landing on hte same runway he had departed.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDING WHEN IT STRUCK A RWY MARKER SIGN AND LOST THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ON TAKEOFF, THE ACFT FLEW FOR ABOUT ONE HOUR BEFORE LANDING. (.19) ON AUGUST 2, 1998, AT 1345 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N8398R, PILOTED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLIDED WITH AN AIRPORT RUNWAY MARKING SIGN DURING TAKEOFF FROM A TOUCH AND GO LANDING MANEUVER ON RUNWAY 20 (4,395' X 60' DRY ASPHALT) AT THE LAPORTE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, LAPORTE, INDIANA. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN SPAR AND FELL FROM THE AIRPLANE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT WAS NOT OPERATING ON A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED LAPORTE, INDIANA, EXACT TIME UNKNOWN. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED BEYOND THE RUNWAY'S EDGE DUE TO A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND FROM THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY MARKING SIGN SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT APPLIED FULL POWER FOR A GO AROUND. THE LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE WING'S MAIN SPAR ATTACH POINT AND FELL TO THE EARTH. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR ABOUT 1-HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT AND LANDING ON HTE SAME RUNWAY HE HAD DEPARTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.