What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 26, 2018 at approximately 7:45 am eastern standard time, a PA-32-260 aircraft, N571UJ, registered to and operated by an on demand air taxi service, received substantial damage when the right main landing gear separated during landing on runway 26 at Mackinac Island Airport (mcd) on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The commercial flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 135 without a flight plan. The pilot and four passengers were not injured. The flight originated from the saint ignace, Mackinac county airport (83D) in saint ignace, Michigan at approximately 7:40 am local.
According to the pilot, he was landing on runway 26. He stated that when entering his landing flare just above the landing surface, he heard a thump. He noted the aircraft was settling further than normal on its right side in the flare. The right wing impacted the runway surface and the aircraft came to rest on the tips of the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot notified airport personnel of the accident and ensured all passengers were uninjured. The pilot and passengers exited the aircraft without incident.
After the exiting the aircraft, the pilot noted a bank of hardened ice from the thawed and refrozen remnants left by snow plows on the runway surface, located near the threshold and approximately 1 foot high.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The weather report at kmcd airport at 1236Z was: wind 250 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 15 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp -03, dew point -05, and altimeter 3004.
It appears that in the pilot's effort to land in a distance short enough to make the turn off on the first taxiway, approximately 1,200 feet from the runway 26 threshold, the right main landing gear impacted ice bank on the runway. The resultant forces separated the gear leg from the aircraft.
Signature of preexisting mechanical fatigue appears in examination of the lower spar cap at the gear attachment point. This airframe has a high number of takeoff and landing cycles. This apparent fatigue potentially contributed to the gear separation upon impact.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 26, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:45 AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PA-32-260 AIRCRAFT, N571UJ, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY AN ON DEMAND AIR TAXI SERVICE, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 26 AT MACKINAC ISLAND AIRPORT (MCD) ON MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 135 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND FOUR PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE SAINT IGNACE, MACKINAC COUNTY AIRPORT (83D) IN SAINT IGNACE, MICHIGAN AT APPROXIMATELY 7:40 AM LOCAL.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 26. HE STATED THAT WHEN ENTERING HIS LANDING FLARE JUST ABOVE THE LANDING SURFACE, HE HEARD A THUMP. HE NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SETTLING FURTHER THAN NORMAL ON ITS RIGHT SIDE IN THE FLARE. THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED THE RUNWAY SURFACE AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE TIPS OF THE RIGHT WING AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT NOTIFIED AIRPORT PERSONNEL OF THE ACCIDENT AND ENSURED ALL PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT.
AFTER THE EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT NOTED A BANK OF HARDENED ICE FROM THE THAWED AND REFROZEN REMNANTS LEFT BY SNOW PLOWS ON THE RUNWAY SURFACE, LOCATED NEAR THE THRESHOLD AND APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT HIGH.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER REPORT AT KMCD AIRPORT AT 1236Z WAS: WIND 250 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP -03, DEW POINT -05, AND ALTIMETER 3004.
IT APPEARS THAT IN THE PILOT'S EFFORT TO LAND IN A DISTANCE SHORT ENOUGH TO MAKE THE TURN OFF ON THE FIRST TAXIWAY, APPROXIMATELY 1,200 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY 26 THRESHOLD, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED ICE BANK ON THE RUNWAY. THE RESULTANT FORCES SEPARATED THE GEAR LEG FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
SIGNATURE OF PREEXISTING MECHANICAL FATIGUE APPEARS IN EXAMINATION OF THE LOWER SPAR CAP AT THE GEAR ATTACHMENT POINT. THIS AIRFRAME HAS A HIGH NUMBER OF TAKEOFF AND LANDING CYCLES. THIS APPARENT FATIGUE POTENTIALLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE GEAR SEPARATION UPON IMPACT.
Other reports on N7122J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.