What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) This airplane is 25 years old with 5,000 operating hours and has been used exclusively for glider towing. The estimated number of landings or cycles is twenty thousand. The face of the straight transverse break in the right landing gear has markings and a rusty spot that indicated metal fatigue. The pilot was making a normal three point landing and during roll out the right landing gear snapped off. The propeller and right wing tip hit the dirt runway then the airplane slide off the right side into soft sand. The outboard section of the right wing was wrinkled and bent and the propeller, engine, and cowling was damaged. The upper portion of the broken landing gear was sent to the NTSB in lax for examination in their lab. A malfunctionor defect report was filed by the certified repair station performing the repairs and a landing gear cycle life-limit was recommended. (.4) the right main landing gear collapsed during the landing rollout at a private dirt glider airstrip. The pilot said that he made a 3-point landing after towing a glider aloft. The airplane bounced slightly on touchdown and, on the second ground contact, the pilot heard a snap sound and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane fell down on the right wing and spun around in the dirt. An FAA airworthiness inspector examined the airplane and the runway. The inspector observed the two touchdown markings on the dirt runway and reported that they were about 12-feet apart and not heavy impressions. About 20 feet beyond the second touchdown point, drag markings consistent with a separated main landing gear were found. The inspector reported that the right main landing gear strut separated near the fuselage with a transverse fracture. A majority of the fracture face appeared dirty and rusty, with the remaining portion exhibiting a pattern of beach markings and a chevron-like pattern near the edge opposite the discolored portion. According to the operator, this airplane has been used exclusively for glider tow operations and has accumulated over 4,000 flight hours. The operator and the FAA inspector estimated the total number of landing cycles somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000 for the life of the part.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THIS AIRPLANE IS 25 YEARS OLD WITH 5,000 OPERATING HOURS AND HAS BEEN USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR GLIDER TOWING. THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF LANDINGS OR CYCLES IS TWENTY THOUSAND. THE FACE OF THE STRAIGHT TRANSVERSE BREAK IN THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR HAS MARKINGS AND A RUSTY SPOT THAT INDICATED METAL FATIGUE. THE PILOT WAS MAKING A NORMAL THREE POINT LANDING AND DURING ROLL OUT THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SNAPPED OFF. THE PROPELLER AND RIGHT WING TIP HIT THE DIRT RUNWAY THEN THE AIRPLANE SLIDE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE INTO SOFT SAND. THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS WRINKLED AND BENT AND THE PROPELLER, ENGINE, AND COWLING WAS DAMAGED. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BROKEN LANDING GEAR WAS SENT TO THE NTSB IN LAX FOR EXAMINATION IN THEIR LAB. A MALFUNCTIONOR DEFECT REPORT WAS FILED BY THE CERTIFIED REPAIR STATION PERFORMING THE REPAIRS AND A LANDING GEAR CYCLE LIFE-LIMIT WAS RECOMMENDED. (.4) THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT AT A PRIVATE DIRT GLIDER AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE MADE A 3-POINT LANDING AFTER TOWING A GLIDER ALOFT. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED SLIGHTLY ON TOUCHDOWN AND, ON THE SECOND GROUND CONTACT, THE PILOT HEARD A SNAP SOUND AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE FELL DOWN ON THE RIGHT WING AND SPUN AROUND IN THE DIRT. AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE AND THE RUNWAY. THE INSPECTOR OBSERVED THE TWO TOUCHDOWN MARKINGS ON THE DIRT RUNWAY AND REPORTED THAT THEY WERE ABOUT 12-FEET APART AND NOT HEAVY IMPRESSIONS. ABOUT 20 FEET BEYOND THE SECOND TOUCHDOWN POINT, DRAG MARKINGS CONSISTENT WITH A SEPARATED MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE FOUND. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT SEPARATED NEAR THE FUSELAGE WITH A TRANSVERSE FRACTURE. A MAJORITY OF THE FRACTURE FACE APPEARED DIRTY AND RUSTY, WITH THE REMAINING PORTION EXHIBITING A PATTERN OF BEACH MARKINGS AND A CHEVRON-LIKE PATTERN NEAR THE EDGE OPPOSITE THE DISCOLORED PORTION. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THIS AIRPLANE HAS BEEN USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR GLIDER TOW OPERATIONS AND HAS ACCUMULATED OVER 4,000 FLIGHT HOURS. THE OPERATOR AND THE FAA INSPECTOR ESTIMATED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LANDING CYCLES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 15,000 AND 16,000 FOR THE LIFE OF THE PART.
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 N8638V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.