What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On 05/21/00, approximately 1825 MDT, an stewart model S-51D (N51S) operated by privacy data omitted , was sustained minor damage when it's landing hear collapsed while on landing roll-out on rwy 21 at the Belen, NM (E80) airport. The pilot-in-command, and sole occupant of the aircraft, holds an U.S. Restricted private pilot certificate (based on his australiam ATP) with airplane, single & multiengine, land rating(s). The pilot was ininjuried in the incident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for ferry flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from midland, TX, approximately 2 hours prior to the incident. Witnesses to the landing stated the pilot made a normal approach and the landing with light x-wind conditions. During rollout, they saw the right main gear begin to slowly begin to fold back into the wheel well. The aircraft impacted on the propeller and slid off the downwind side of the runway. The pilot stated he made a normal wheel landing. After landing, as he was lowering the tailwheel, he heard a loud "crack" and the aircraft's right wing began to settle and the aircraft veered toward the right. He countered with left aileron, shut down the engine, and attempted to brake. As speed decreased, the aircraft continued to settle on it's right side and the propeller blades struck the runway. On Tuesday (5/24/00) privacy data omitted (an individual who has worked on several of these particular aircraft) examined the landing gear. He discovered the downlock connected to the right MLG trunion had failed, allowing the landing gear to retract. He stated this filling is a welded-up fitting, anf the welds had failed. He also mentioned this aricraft was a prototype, and this trunion was corrected on later aircraft kits by manufacturing the fitting from milled material.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON 05/21/00, APPROXIMATELY 1825 MDT, AN STEWART MODEL S-51D (N51S) OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ , WAS SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT'S LANDING HEAR COLLAPSED WHILE ON LANDING ROLL-OUT ON RWY 21 AT THE BELEN, NM (E80) AIRPORT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, HOLDS AN U.S. RESTRICTED PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE (BASED ON HIS AUSTRALIAM ATP) WITH AIRPLANE, SINGLE & MULTIENGINE, LAND RATING(S). THE PILOT WAS ININJURIED IN THE INCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR FERRY FLIGHT, WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MIDLAND, TX, APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. WITNESSES TO THE LANDING STATED THE PILOT MADE A NORMAL APPROACH AND THE LANDING WITH LIGHT X-WIND CONDITIONS. DURING ROLLOUT, THEY SAW THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BEGIN TO SLOWLY BEGIN TO FOLD BACK INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON THE PROPELLER AND SLID OFF THE DOWNWIND SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE MADE A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING. AFTER LANDING, AS HE WAS LOWERING THE TAILWHEEL, HE HEARD A LOUD "CRACK" AND THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING BEGAN TO SETTLE AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TOWARD THE RIGHT. HE COUNTERED WITH LEFT AILERON, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. AS SPEED DECREASED, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SETTLE ON IT'S RIGHT SIDE AND THE PROPELLER BLADES STRUCK THE RUNWAY. ON TUESDAY (5/24/00) ^PRIVACY DATA OMI^ (AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS WORKED ON SEVERAL OF THESE PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT) EXAMINED THE LANDING GEAR. HE DISCOVERED THE DOWNLOCK CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT MLG TRUNION HAD FAILED, ALLOWING THE LANDING GEAR TO RETRACT. HE STATED THIS FILLING IS A WELDED-UP FITTING, ANF THE WELDS HAD FAILED. HE ALSO MENTIONED THIS ARICRAFT WAS A PROTOTYPE, AND THIS TRUNION WAS CORRECTED ON LATER AIRCRAFT KITS BY MANUFACTURING THE FITTING FROM MILLED MATERIAL.
Other reports on N51S · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.