What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-19) On March 1,2001, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a temco GC-1B, N3301K, "registration pending", experienced collapse of both main landing gears while landing at the sanford-lee county regional airport, sanford, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant was not injured. The time and location of the last departure point has not been determined. The pilot stated to an FAA inspector that she landed on the first 1,000 feet of the 6,500 foot-long runway. After touchdown, she felt that something wasn't correct with the right main landing gear and intentionally lifted off from the runway remaining. She landed again, this time approx. 1/3 to 1/2 down the runway. After touchdown, the airplane departed the left side of the runway onto grass collapsing both main landing gears. A witness reported seeing the airplane on final approach to runway 03 when the airplane was about 30 feet above ground level. Engine power was heard to be applied and the airplane was observed in a steep climb. The witness did norpreserve the accident. Postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed damage to the firewall. Wrinkles were noted in the left side of the fuselage aft of the firewall and also on the right side of the fuselage approx. 3 feet aft of the firewall. Additionally, there was no evidence of contact with the right main landing gear and the runway. Coarse scratches were noted on the bottom of the left wing tip. (-23) pilot lost control of aircraft during landing. Pilot claims that when aircraft first touched down, something "did not feel right" and she initiated a go-around, but later changed her mind and attempted another landing on the remaining runway. Witness to accident said that the aircraft hit hard and bounced in the air, followed by pilot adding takeoff power for a possible go-around. Witness thought aircraft was going to go around and looked away, not seeing the aircraft attempt another landing on remaining runway. No evidence found on runway that would indicate gear collapsed prior to aircraft exiting runway. Pilot admits to losing control of aircraft on second landing attempt but couldn't explain why aircraft veered to left side o f grass. She stated that she felt aircraft settling to right side as if tire was flat or the right main gear was folding into the wheel well. Post examination of landing gear shows both main gear were locked in position before being sheared off from side load.
As the FAA filed it
(-19) ON MARCH 1,2001, ABOUT 1830 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A TEMCO GC-1B, N3301K, "REGISTRATION PENDING", EXPERIENCED COLLAPSE OF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS WHILE LANDING AT THE SANFORD-LEE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, SANFORD, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT WAS NOT INJURED. THE TIME AND LOCATION OF THE LAST DEPARTURE POINT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. THE PILOT STATED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT SHE LANDED ON THE FIRST 1,000 FEET OF THE 6,500 FOOT-LONG RUNWAY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, SHE FELT THAT SOMETHING WASN'T CORRECT WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND INTENTIONALLY LIFTED OFF FROM THE RUNWAY REMAINING. SHE LANDED AGAIN, THIS TIME APPROX. 1/3 TO 1/2 DOWN THE RUNWAY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY ONTO GRASS COLLAPSING BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 03 WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. ENGINE POWER WAS HEARD TO BE APPLIED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A STEEP CLIMB. THE WITNESS DID NORPRESERVE THE ACCIDENT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL. WRINKLES WERE NOTED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE FIREWALL AND ALSO ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE APPROX. 3 FEET AFT OF THE FIREWALL. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE RUNWAY. COARSE SCRATCHES WERE NOTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT WING TIP. (-23) PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING. PILOT CLAIMS THAT WHEN AIRCRAFT FIRST TOUCHED DOWN, SOMETHING "DID NOT FEEL RIGHT" AND SHE INITIATED A GO-AROUND, BUT LATER CHANGED HER MIND AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. WITNESS TO ACCIDENT SAID THAT THE AIRCRAFT HIT HARD AND BOUNCED IN THE AIR, FOLLOWED BY PILOT ADDING TAKEOFF POWER FOR A POSSIBLE GO-AROUND. WITNESS THOUGHT AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO GO AROUND AND LOOKED AWAY, NOT SEEING THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPT ANOTHER LANDING ON REMAINING RUNWAY. NO EVIDENCE FOUND ON RUNWAY THAT WOULD INDICATE GEAR COLLAPSED PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT EXITING RUNWAY. PILOT ADMITS TO LOSING CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT ON SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT BUT COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY AIRCRAFT VEERED TO LEFT SIDE O F GRASS. SHE STATED THAT SHE FELT AIRCRAFT SETTLING TO RIGHT SIDE AS IF TIRE WAS FLAT OR THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS FOLDING INTO THE WHEEL WELL. POST EXAMINATION OF LANDING GEAR SHOWS BOTH MAIN GEAR WERE LOCKED IN POSITION BEFORE BEING SHEARED OFF FROM SIDE LOAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.