# Incident 20050222001979I: Piper PA28140, Loris, SC, February 22, 2005

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 22, 2005, 17:53 local time
- Place: Loris, SC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.0575° N, 78.8884° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Loris, SC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.0575&lon=-78.8884&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3542K, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3542K) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,950 total, 60 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050222001979I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON FEBRUARY 22, 2005, AT APPROXIMATELY 14:00 LOCAL TIME, PIPER, PA-28-140, N3542K, OPERATED BY THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXPERIENCED A RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FAILURE WHILE ENROUTE FROM FLORENCE, SC (FLO) TO HARDEE AIRPORT (SC21), LORIS, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA ^ LANDED N3542K AT SC21 WITH THE LOWER STRUT MISSING FROM THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED WHILE THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD BANG WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HIT SOMETHING, LIKE A LARGE BIRD OR A WEATHER BALLOON. AFTER A "FLY BY" OF HIS HOME AIRPORT AND GROUND PERSONNEL REPORTED TO HIM THAT THE RIGHT TIRE APPEARED TO BE MISSING. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AT HARDEE FIELD, LORIS, SC. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE LOWER STRUT, BRAKE AND TIRE ASSEMBLIES WERE MISSING FROM THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. THE UPPER MAIN GEAR TORQUE LINK (P/N UNKNOWN) WAS ATTACHED TO THE UPPER STRUT HOUSING. THE BRAKE LINE WAS BROKEN OFF AT THE BRAKE CYLINDER FITTING AND THE LOWER STRUT ASSEMBLY WAS MISSING. IT APPEARS THAT THE TORQUE LINK BOLT (P/N UNKNOWN) FAILED ALLOWING THE LOWER STRUT ASSEMBLY TO EXTEND OUT OF THE STRUT HOUSING AND FALL FREE OF THE AIRCRAFT. UNABLE TO CONFIRM BASED ON AVAILABLE MAINTENANCE RECORDS, BUT AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE GREASE BOLT REPLACEMENT KIT (P/N 760.910) INSTALLED.

## Other reports on N3542K (1)

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

- [Accident 20030831023329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030831023329A), Aug 31, 2003: Piper PA28140 (N3542K), Murfreesboro, TN, Substantial damage. (-23) Murfreesboro airport, deer hit aircraft while on take/off roll, damaging right front engine cowling and firewall. Flight instructor on right side of…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.