What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19)On September 26, 1998, at 0944 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-301T airplane, N83894, was substantially damaged during the initial climb out from the Horseshoe bay airpark airport near austin, Texas. The private pilot, sole occupant, owner and operator, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 personal flight, for which no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated during a telephone interview with the safety board that he flew the airplane to the Horseshoe Bay Airport the night before. Upon landing the night before, the airplane contacted two deer. The propeller was "nicked" and the right main landing gear fairing was damaged. The next morning the pilot removed the landing gear fairings from the landing gear. The pilot performed a per-flight inspection and noted no discrepancies. He decided to fly the airplane around the pattern one time to verify that the "nick" in the propeller would not yield any vibrations. The pilot stated that the airplane was on the initial climbout form the airport, approximately 25 feet above ground level, when he heard a "loud thump." A person who was monitoring the UNICOM frequency advise d the pilot that the right main landing gear had fallen from the airplane. The pilot flew the airplane to mathis field airport san angelo, Texas. No aditional damage was incurred during the landing. (-23) aircraft struck deer upon landing. Subsequent damage not discovered by PIC. Main gear departed aircraft upon take-off roll. Aircraft declared an emergency and landed at san angelo, TX (sjt).
As the FAA filed it
(.19)ON SEPTEMBER 26, 1998, AT 0944 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-301T AIRPLANE, N83894, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB OUT FROM THE HORSESHOE BAY AIRPARK AIRPORT NEAR AUSTIN, TEXAS. THE PRIVATE PILOT, SOLE OCCUPANT, OWNER AND OPERATOR, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, FOR WHICH NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT STATED DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE SAFETY BOARD THAT HE FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO THE HORSESHOE BAY AIRPORT THE NIGHT BEFORE. UPON LANDING THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED TWO DEER. THE PROPELLER WAS "NICKED" AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAIRING WAS DAMAGED. THE NEXT MORNING THE PILOT REMOVED THE LANDING GEAR FAIRINGS FROM THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT PERFORMED A PER-FLIGHT INSPECTION AND NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES. HE DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AROUND THE PATTERN ONE TIME TO VERIFY THAT THE "NICK" IN THE PROPELLER WOULD NOT YIELD ANY VIBRATIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE INITIAL CLIMBOUT FORM THE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, WHEN HE HEARD A "LOUD THUMP." A PERSON WHO WAS MONITORING THE UNICOM FREQUENCY ADVISE D THE PILOT THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD FALLEN FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO MATHIS FIELD AIRPORT SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. NO ADITIONAL DAMAGE WAS INCURRED DURING THE LANDING. (-23) AIRCRAFT STRUCK DEER UPON LANDING. SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE NOT DISCOVERED BY PIC. MAIN GEAR DEPARTED AIRCRAFT UPON TAKE-OFF ROLL. AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED AT SAN ANGELO, TX (SJT).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.