# Accident 20160624009839A: Piper PA-28-181, Poughkeepsie, NY, June 24, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 24, 2016, 11:38 local time
- Place: Poughkeepsie, NY
- Airport: Dutchess County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: YF5S
- Location: 41.6267° N, 73.8842° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6267&lon=-73.8842&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3024C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3024C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 7,862 total, 3,500 in this make and model, 119 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA16LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA234) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160624009839A

## Narrative

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

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA16LA234](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA234), Jun 24, 2016: Piper PA28 (N3024C), Poughkeepsie, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: An overstress failure of the left main landing gear attachment bolts, which resulted in the left main landing gear collapse.

## Other reports on N3024C (1)

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

- [Incident 19880403017169I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880403017169I), Apr 3, 1988: Piper PA28181 (N3024C), Caldwell, NJ, Minor damage. Struck some trees while attempting a LOC runway 22 approach to airport. Landed safely.

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.