What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) While taking off from the originating airport, the pilot felt a slight impact on the right main landing gear about halfway down the runway. The takeoff was continued, and the airplane lifted off normally. The pilot attempted to retract the gear, and it would not retract. The flight was continued uneventfully to the destination airport and a landing was made on the damaged right main landing gear, which immediately collapsed. According to the airport manager at the originating airport the airplane 'seemed to use all of the available runway.' A second witness stated that the airplane used the whole runway and hit a 2-foot high berm at the end. 'It was the berm that put him into the air.' A passenger in the airplane stated the airplane lifted off about 2/3 of the way down the runway and heard a 'kabang' at the same time as the liftoff. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right main landing gear forward retainer assembly and retaining bolt were sheared. When viewed from the face of the shear point, the forward retainer had a significant impact driving the landing gear rearward. (-23) pilot stated that he departed kentmor, MD (3W3), enroute to rj Miller air park (mjx), Toms River, NJ and during takeoff aircraft struck an object that damaged the right main landing gear. This office's investigation found the forward right MLG retainer assembly and retainer bolt sheared. The impact also pulled the swivel assembly loose from the forward spar damaging the spar in the process. Pilot stated he attempted to recycle gear in normal and emergency mode unsuccessfully and opted to proceed to mjx, approximately 1.3 hours enroute. Pilot stated he performed fly by at mjx to determine extent of damage, he also stated the aircraft landed successfully and in an attempt to turnoff runway right main landing gear collapsed rearward. When gear collapsed damage was sustained to the rear swivel assembly twisting the false spar upward creating substantial structural damage to right wing. The right flap and wing tip were also damaged. This matter was turned over the operations unit for review and is considered closed by airworthiness.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) WHILE TAKING OFF FROM THE ORIGINATING AIRPORT, THE PILOT FELT A SLIGHT IMPACT ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE TAKEOFF WAS CONTINUED, AND THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF NORMALLY. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE GEAR, AND IT WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE FLIGHT WAS CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE DESTINATION AIRPORT AND A LANDING WAS MADE ON THE DAMAGED RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, WHICH IMMEDIATELY COLLAPSED. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT THE ORIGINATING AIRPORT THE AIRPLANE 'SEEMED TO USE ALL OF THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY.' A SECOND WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE USED THE WHOLE RUNWAY AND HIT A 2-FOOT HIGH BERM AT THE END. 'IT WAS THE BERM THAT PUT HIM INTO THE AIR.' A PASSENGER IN THE AIRPLANE STATED THE AIRPLANE LIFTED OFF ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY AND HEARD A 'KABANG' AT THE SAME TIME AS THE LIFTOFF. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FORWARD RETAINER ASSEMBLY AND RETAINING BOLT WERE SHEARED. WHEN VIEWED FROM THE FACE OF THE SHEAR POINT, THE FORWARD RETAINER HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DRIVING THE LANDING GEAR REARWARD. (-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED KENTMOR, MD (3W3), ENROUTE TO RJ MILLER AIR PARK (MJX), TOMS RIVER, NJ AND DURING TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT STRUCK AN OBJECT THAT DAMAGED THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THIS OFFICE'S INVESTIGATION FOUND THE FORWARD RIGHT MLG RETAINER ASSEMBLY AND RETAINER BOLT SHEARED. THE IMPACT ALSO PULLED THE SWIVEL ASSEMBLY LOOSE FROM THE FORWARD SPAR DAMAGING THE SPAR IN THE PROCESS. PILOT STATED HE ATTEMPTED TO RECYCLE GEAR IN NORMAL AND EMERGENCY MODE UNSUCCESSFULLY AND OPTED TO PROCEED TO MJX, APPROXIMATELY 1.3 HOURS ENROUTE. PILOT STATED HE PERFORMED FLY BY AT MJX TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF DAMAGE, HE ALSO STATED THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SUCCESSFULLY AND IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURNOFF RUNWAY RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED REARWARD. WHEN GEAR COLLAPSED DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE REAR SWIVEL ASSEMBLY TWISTING THE FALSE SPAR UPWARD CREATING SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO RIGHT WING. THE RIGHT FLAP AND WING TIP WERE ALSO DAMAGED. THIS MATTER WAS TURNED OVER THE OPERATIONS UNIT FOR REVIEW AND IS CONSIDERED CLOSED BY AIRWORTHINESS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.