What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/24/2016 at 1138 EDT, N3024C, a Piper PA-28-181, s/n 28-7990149, registered to cash management consulting LLC, experienced a collapsed left main landing gear after landing on runway 24, and while taxiing to get to runway 33. The aircraft was operated by five star flight inc., dba: westfield flight academy, a CFR part 141 flight school, YF5S796K. According to the pilot-in-command, the student pilot had performed the landing and they were taxiing the aircraft without using the brakes in order to get to runway 33, when the aircraft veered to the left and the left main strut collapsed. The crew contacted the tower, shutdown and exited the aircraft at that time. There were no injuries involved.
Initial investigation revealed damage to the main landing gear fairing, left wing flap, the trailing edge of the left wing, and upper skin damage to the wing just outboard of wing station 50 at the upper landing gear inspection port. Further investigation revealed that the hardware securing the strut housing to the wing spar had failed. The upper inboard screw, p/n 416-346, and the lower outboard bolt, p/n 401-311, both showed signs of shear failure and exhibited signs of corrosion across the failure surface, with additional corrosion around the strut housing and spar mount holes. The three remaining upper mount screws, p/n 416-346, exhibited signs of stress failure, as there were no threads remaining on the shank of the bolts. The three remaining lower mount bolts, p/n 401-311, exhibited signs of shear failure. The upper wing spar-to-strut mounting area showed fretting damage to the spar, with a slight groove worn into the spar surface. Several of the mount holes on both the upper and lower surfaces of the strut mounting pads were elongated.
The aircraft records indicate that the last 100 hour/annual inspections were completed in accordance with the Piper service manual on 4/12/2016, at airframe total time: 7212.5. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 92.5 hours since the last inspection.
When the NTSB report and any other additional information become available, this report will be amended as necessary.
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/24/2016 AT 1138 EDT, N3024C, A PIPER PA-28-181, S/N 28-7990149, REGISTERED TO CASH MANAGEMENT CONSULTING LLC, EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 24, AND WHILE TAXIING TO GET TO RUNWAY 33. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY FIVE STAR FLIGHT INC., DBA: WESTFIELD FLIGHT ACADEMY, A CFR PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL, YF5S796K. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, THE STUDENT PILOT HAD PERFORMED THE LANDING AND THEY WERE TAXIING THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT USING THE BRAKES IN ORDER TO GET TO RUNWAY 33, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THE LEFT MAIN STRUT COLLAPSED. THE CREW CONTACTED THE TOWER, SHUTDOWN AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT TIME. THERE WERE NO INJURIES INVOLVED.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION REVEALED DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FAIRING, LEFT WING FLAP, THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING, AND UPPER SKIN DAMAGE TO THE WING JUST OUTBOARD OF WING STATION 50 AT THE UPPER LANDING GEAR INSPECTION PORT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HARDWARE SECURING THE STRUT HOUSING TO THE WING SPAR HAD FAILED. THE UPPER INBOARD SCREW, P/N 416-346, AND THE LOWER OUTBOARD BOLT, P/N 401-311, BOTH SHOWED SIGNS OF SHEAR FAILURE AND EXHIBITED SIGNS OF CORROSION ACROSS THE FAILURE SURFACE, WITH ADDITIONAL CORROSION AROUND THE STRUT HOUSING AND SPAR MOUNT HOLES. THE THREE REMAINING UPPER MOUNT SCREWS, P/N 416-346, EXHIBITED SIGNS OF STRESS FAILURE, AS THERE WERE NO THREADS REMAINING ON THE SHANK OF THE BOLTS. THE THREE REMAINING LOWER MOUNT BOLTS, P/N 401-311, EXHIBITED SIGNS OF SHEAR FAILURE. THE UPPER WING SPAR-TO-STRUT MOUNTING AREA SHOWED FRETTING DAMAGE TO THE SPAR, WITH A SLIGHT GROOVE WORN INTO THE SPAR SURFACE. SEVERAL OF THE MOUNT HOLES ON BOTH THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE STRUT MOUNTING PADS WERE ELONGATED.
THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST 100 HOUR/ANNUAL INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PIPER SERVICE MANUAL ON 4/12/2016, AT AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME: 7212.5. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED 92.5 HOURS SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION.
WHEN THE NTSB REPORT AND ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOME AVAILABLE, THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS NECESSARY.
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 N3024C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.