What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 21, 1999, at 1400 central daylight time, a Bellanca 8KCAB, tailwheel equipped airplane, N5500C, was substantially damaged following a loss of direction control while landing near Lufkin, Texas. The flight instructor and the instrument rated private pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by nacogdoches traildraggers, inc., of nacogdoches, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The local instructional flight originated from the a.l. mangham, jr. regional airport (och), near nacogdoches, Texas, approximately 1300. According to the FAA inspector that responded to the accident site, the flight arrived at the Angelina County Airport (lfk), located near Lufkin, Texas, to practice takeoffs and landings. The flight instructor reported that following a normal wheel landing on runway 15, the bolt attaching the left main landing gear to the fuselange failed, resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane came to rest on the west side of the 4,550 foot runway. Examination of the 1978 model aircraft reveled structural damage to the left wing and the left main landing gear attaching point. Additionally, one propeller blade was bent and the underside of the airframe was damaged. A review of the maintenance history of the airplane revealed that the airplane had been purchased from an individual in Louisiana on December 1998, and the airframe had accumulated a total time of 661.0 hours. The surface winds at the time of the occurence were reported from 200 degrees at 5 knots. (.4) the left main landing gear separated from the airframe following a normal wheel landing on runway 15. The separation resulted from failure of the 'u-bolt' attaching the left main landing gear to the fuselage. The left wing contacted the ground and the airplane came to rest on the west side of the 4,550 foot runway. A review of the maintenance history of the airplane revealed that the airframe had accumulated a total time of 708 hours. The failed landing gear u-bolt, part number 1-9805, was shipped to the NTSB materials laboratories in Washington, d.c., for metallurgical evaluation. The metallurgical evaluation revealed that the bolt failed as a result of fatigue. (-23)weather was VMC for this 91 CFR instructional flight. On landing, the left gear separated from the aircraft. The aircraft ground looped 1 full turn and came to rest unright, subsequent investigation revealed a broken u-bolt at the attact point for the left main gear at the fuselage. (U-bolt sent to NTSB lab in Washington DC for analysis).
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 21, 1999, AT 1400 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BELLANCA 8KCAB, TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N5500C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED FOLLOWING A LOSS OF DIRECTION CONTROL WHILE LANDING NEAR LUFKIN, TEXAS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY NACOGDOCHES TRAILDRAGGERS, INC., OF NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE A.L. MANGHAM, JR. REGIONAL AIRPORT (OCH), NEAR NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS, APPROXIMATELY 1300. ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE FLIGHT ARRIVED AT THE ANGELINA COUNTY AIRPORT (LFK), LOCATED NEAR LUFKIN, TEXAS, TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT FOLLOWING A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING ON RUNWAY 15, THE BOLT ATTACHING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO THE FUSELANGE FAILED, RESULTING IN THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE 4,550 FOOT RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE 1978 MODEL AIRCRAFT REVELED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR ATTACHING POINT. ADDITIONALLY, ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS DAMAGED. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN PURCHASED FROM AN INDIVIDUAL IN LOUISIANA ON DECEMBER 1998, AND THE AIRFRAME HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 661.0 HOURS. THE SURFACE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURENCE WERE REPORTED FROM 200 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. (.4) THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME FOLLOWING A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING ON RUNWAY 15. THE SEPARATION RESULTED FROM FAILURE OF THE 'U-BOLT' ATTACHING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE 4,550 FOOT RUNWAY. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE AIRFRAME HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 708 HOURS. THE FAILED LANDING GEAR U-BOLT, PART NUMBER 1-9805, WAS SHIPPED TO THE NTSB MATERIALS LABORATORIES IN WASHINGTON, D.C., FOR METALLURGICAL EVALUATION. THE METALLURGICAL EVALUATION REVEALED THAT THE BOLT FAILED AS A RESULT OF FATIGUE. (-23)WEATHER WAS VMC FOR THIS 91 CFR INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. ON LANDING, THE LEFT GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED 1 FULL TURN AND CAME TO REST UNRIGHT, SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED A BROKEN U-BOLT AT THE ATTACT POINT FOR THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AT THE FUSELAGE. (U-BOLT SENT TO NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON DC FOR ANALYSIS).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N5500C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.