# Incident 20180819015959I: Piper PA-28-161, Danbury, CT, August 19, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 19, 2018, 11:31 local time
- Place: Danbury, CT
- Airport: Danbury Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.3715° N, 73.4822° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DANBURY MUNI (DXR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.3715&lon=-73.4822&mi=10
- Aircraft: N81441, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N81441) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 4,678 total, 2,418 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180819015959I

## Narrative

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

THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDING IN THE PATTERN AT THE DANBURY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KDXR).  DURING THE FINAL TAKEOFF, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND, WHO WAS ACTING AS A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, NOTED A BUMP THAT HE BELIEVED WAS AS A RESULT OF THE RUNWAY CONDITION.  INSTEAD, THIS WAS THE SOUND OF THE IMPACT OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT IMPACTING THE RUNWAY AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE LOWER TORQUE LINK BOLT.

AN AIRPORT TENANT NOTICED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MISSING AS THE INCIDENT AIRCRAFT FLEW OVERHEAD AND NOTIFIED THE TOWER.  THE TOWER SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED THE AIRCRAFT WHO DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM.  EVENTUALLY, THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO THE PATTERN AND MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES TO ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN LANDED EVENTUALLY CONTACTING THE REMAINING UPPER PORTION OF THE STRUT.

NO DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE PROPELLER, THE BELLY, OR WING AREAS FROM THE LANDING.  THERE WAS LIGHT DAMAGE TO TRAILING EDGE OF THE LEFT FLAP AND SOME BLACK DISCOLORATION OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR POST-CRASH FIRE.

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.

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