20040724019669I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Peipeinimaru, Northern Mariana Islands · July 24, 2004

Date: July 24, 2004 · 05:50 local
Place: Peipeinimaru, Northern Mariana Islands
Airport: West Tinian
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: AVSA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8969N
Reported as: Piper PA32300
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540A2C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N8969NRegistered now · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-40769 · Built 1970 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300 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) The reporting inspector requested, the received the aircraft records on site in guam, along with statements from the company safety officer. Freedom air inc., provided their copy of the incident report, and a statement from the pilot. The reporting inspector reviewed the aircraft 100HR/annual aircraft logs, review the PA-32-300 parts catalog enlarged venlarges view, of the part that failed. Inspected the main gear scissor attachment, area of the area where the required bolt had failed, and which was missing. Conclusion based on a history of multiple landing cycles, along with no evidence of a recent bolt change. Is best estimate of a bolt fracture causing the bolt to fail. The company is not required to follow mandatory service bulletins. However avsa did perform a voluntary fleet inspection campaign to inspect and replace any bolts as necessary.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE REPORTING INSPECTOR REQUESTED, THE RECEIVED THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS ON SITE IN GUAM, ALONG WITH STATEMENTS FROM THE COMPANY SAFETY OFFICER. FREEDOM AIR INC., PROVIDED THEIR COPY OF THE INCIDENT REPORT, AND A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT. THE REPORTING INSPECTOR REVIEWED THE AIRCRAFT 100HR/ANNUAL AIRCRAFT LOGS, REVIEW THE PA-32-300 PARTS CATALOG ENLARGED VENLARGES VIEW, OF THE PART THAT FAILED. INSPECTED THE MAIN GEAR SCISSOR ATTACHMENT, AREA OF THE AREA WHERE THE REQUIRED BOLT HAD FAILED, AND WHICH WAS MISSING. CONCLUSION BASED ON A HISTORY OF MULTIPLE LANDING CYCLES, ALONG WITH NO EVIDENCE OF A RECENT BOLT CHANGE. IS BEST ESTIMATE OF A BOLT FRACTURE CAUSING THE BOLT TO FAIL. THE COMPANY IS NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETINS. HOWEVER AVSA DID PERFORM A VOLUNTARY FLEET INSPECTION CAMPAIGN TO INSPECT AND REPLACE ANY BOLTS AS NECESSARY.