20000821017459I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Blanca 17-31ATC · El Cajon, CA · August 21, 2000

Date: August 21, 2000 · 17:37 local
Place: El Cajon, CA
Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1285R
Reported as: Blanca 1731ATC
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 575 total350 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N1285RRegistered now · Bellanca 17-31ATCS/N 31026 Airframe modelBellanca 17-31ATC Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot reported that during landing, a gust of wind carried the a/c sideways as he was touching down, putting a side load on the landing gear. During taxi in, the left landing gear collapsed and the left wing fell, coming to rest on top of the left wheel. Damage to the a/c was minimal and there was no injuries. Examination of the left landing gear strut was made and it appeared that the lower scissors arm had been torn from the strut tube at the weld, metal from the strut tube with it. There was no evidence of weld failure, metal fatigue, or corrision in the area of the damage. The strut tube appeared to have broken after turning 180 degrees during taxi. Failure was attributed to excessive side load on landing gear during crosswind landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING LANDING, A GUST OF WIND CARRIED THE A/C SIDEWAYS AS HE WAS TOUCHING DOWN, PUTTING A SIDE LOAD ON THE LANDING GEAR. DURING TAXI IN, THE LEFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE LEFT WING FELL, COMING TO REST ON TOP OF THE LEFT WHEEL. DAMAGE TO THE A/C WAS MINIMAL AND THERE WAS NO INJURIES. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUT WAS MADE AND IT APPEARED THAT THE LOWER SCISSORS ARM HAD BEEN TORN FROM THE STRUT TUBE AT THE WELD, METAL FROM THE STRUT TUBE WITH IT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF WELD FAILURE, METAL FATIGUE, OR CORRISION IN THE AREA OF THE DAMAGE. THE STRUT TUBE APPEARED TO HAVE BROKEN AFTER TURNING 180 DEGREES DURING TAXI. FAILURE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO EXCESSIVE SIDE LOAD ON LANDING GEAR DURING CROSSWIND LANDING.

Other reports on N1285R · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19771108036049ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Lander, WYNew rwy used for daylight opns only, lights not operational.Nov 8, 1977 · Substantial damage