What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On dec 10 2010, a Piper PA-28-140 landed at Chino Airport on runway 26LEFT and at approximately 15:54 PST was taxiing and acccording to the written statement provided to the FAA from the pilot in command lance robert mcgee,"the lower portion of the landing gear came loose and the left wing went down impacting the ground, weather conditions were clear and wind calm".I arrived at dubios aviation on dec 21 2010 at approximately 12:00 to inspectthe damage to the airplane and observied the following damage. The left main landing gear strut oleo torque link attach point was sheared. The left wing sustained "substantial damage" to inboard rib at the inboard end of the wing where it meets the fuselage. The inboard rib in question shows signs of buckling or distortion and the lightening holes are in an "out of round" condition. A stress crack appriximately 1" in length was discovered at the botom side of the inboard rib extending upwards. The crack is located at the left corner of the lightening hole adjacent to a row of rivets connected to a structural member at the lower wing skin. Wrinkling of the upper and lower wing skins was also detected. I asked the pilot in command if he noticed any damage to the airplane prior to operating the airplane and he stated that he did not see any damage at the time of preflight. It is this inspectors opinion the damage to the airplane was caused by a failure of the landing gear strut oleo attach point which sheared and caused the left main gear to collapse which subsequently led to the wing being stressed which caused internal and external structural damage to the left wing. While the bottom skin of the left wing looks like it was possibly impacted by part of the left gear, I did not see any major scrape marks or scratches on or through the paint on the bottom of the wing, indicating the wing impacting the ground during landing and then being dragged across the ground. The failure appeared to have happened during taxi which is consistent with the ATC occurrence report, and the statement recieved from the pilot in command.
As the FAA filed it
ON DEC 10 2010, A PIPER PA-28-140 LANDED AT CHINO AIRPORT ON RUNWAY 26LEFT AND AT APPROXIMATELY 15:54 PST WAS TAXIING AND ACCCORDING TO THE WRITTEN STATEMENT PROVIDED TO THE FAA FROM THE PILOT IN COMMAND LANCE ROBERT MCGEE,"THE LOWER PORTION OF THE LANDING GEAR CAME LOOSE AND THE LEFT WING WENT DOWN IMPACTING THE GROUND, WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR AND WIND CALM".I ARRIVED AT DUBIOS AVIATION ON DEC 21 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:00 TO INSPECTTHE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE AND OBSERVIED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE.THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT OLEO TORQUE LINK ATTACH POINT WAS SHEARED. THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED "SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE" TO INBOARD RIB AT THE INBOARD END OF THE WING WHERE IT MEETS THE FUSELAGE. THE INBOARD RIB IN QUESTION SHOWS SIGNS OF BUCKLING OR DISTORTION AND THE LIGHTENING HOLES ARE IN AN "OUT OF ROUND" CONDITION. A STRESS CRACK APPRIXIMATELY 1" IN LENGTH WAS DISCOVERED AT THE BOTOM SIDE OF THE INBOARD RIB EXTENDING UPWARDS. THE CRACK IS LOCATED AT THE LEFT CORNER OF THE LIGHTENING HOLE ADJACENT TO A ROW OF RIVETS CONNECTED TO A STRUCTURAL MEMBER AT THE LOWER WING SKIN. WRINKLING OF THE UPPER AND LOWER WING SKINS WAS ALSO DETECTED. I ASKED THE PILOT IN COMMAND IF HE NOTICED ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO OPERATING THE AIRPLANE AND HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE AT THE TIME OF PREFLIGHT. IT IS THIS INSPECTORS OPINION THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE WAS CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR STRUT OLEO ATTACH POINT WHICH SHEARED AND CAUSED THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TO COLLAPSE WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO THE WING BEING STRESSED WHICH CAUSED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. WHILE THE BOTTOM SKIN OF THE LEFT WING LOOKS LIKE IT WAS POSSIBLY IMPACTED BY PART OF THE LEFT GEAR, I DID NOT SEE ANY MAJOR SCRAPE MARKS OR SCRATCHES ON OR THROUGH THE PAINT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WING, INDICATING THE WING IMPACTING THE GROUND DURING LANDING AND THEN BEING DRAGGED ACROSS THE GROUND. THE FAILURE APPEARED TO HAVE HAPPENED DURING TAXI WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE ATC OCCURRENCE REPORT, AND THE STATEMENT RECIEVED FROM THE PILOT IN COMMAND.
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 N5800U · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.