What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On may 14, 2005, about 1100AM, a Piper PA-28-140, N7263J, sustained substantial damage following a hard landing at Pierce county airport, Puyallup, Washington. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. According to the pilot privacy data omitted the landing approach "looked good." During the flare, the airplane "hit wind shear" and landed "a little hard." The pilot added power and executed a go around. He heard a banging noise coming from beneath the airplane and declared an emergency. He elected to return to the airport and land off the runway in a grassy area. Closer inspection revealed that the upper torque link attach lugs on the right main landing gear strut cylinder (p/n 65319-04) had separated. Both separation surfaces displayed beach marks, ratchet marks, and areas of discoloration indicative of preexisting cracks. Piper had issued service bulletin 1131, which called for an inspection of the main landing cylinder upper torque link attach lugs for cracks in the area where the subject cylinder failed. This service bulletin had not been performed on the accident airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MAY 14, 2005, ABOUT 1100AM, A PIPER PA-28-140, N7263J, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A HARD LANDING AT PIERCE COUNTY AIRPORT, PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ THE LANDING APPROACH "LOOKED GOOD." DURING THE FLARE, THE AIRPLANE "HIT WIND SHEAR" AND LANDED "A LITTLE HARD." THE PILOT ADDED POWER AND EXECUTED A GO AROUND. HE HEARD A BANGING NOISE COMING FROM BENEATH THE AIRPLANE AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND LAND OFF THE RUNWAY IN A GRASSY AREA. CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE UPPER TORQUE LINK ATTACH LUGS ON THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT CYLINDER (P/N 65319-04) HAD SEPARATED. BOTH SEPARATION SURFACES DISPLAYED BEACH MARKS, RATCHET MARKS, AND AREAS OF DISCOLORATION INDICATIVE OF PREEXISTING CRACKS. PIPER HAD ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN 1131, WHICH CALLED FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE MAIN LANDING CYLINDER UPPER TORQUE LINK ATTACH LUGS FOR CRACKS IN THE AREA WHERE THE SUBJECT CYLINDER FAILED. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE.
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 N7263J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.