What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a routine training flight, touch and go operations, at Greenville TX, kgvt, upon take-off rotation, the right main landing gear departed the aircraft. The crew, being alerted to this but not knowing exactly what happened, continued flight to addison TX, kads. The crew was able to confirm with the tower at addison and aircraft in the area that the right main gear was missing with only the strut tube attached. The crew elected to attempt to land at alliance TX, kafw. After burning off fuel, the aircraft landed safely at alliance on the left main and nose gear and right hand upper shock absorber housing.
There was evidence of impact from the right tire to the lower horizontal stabilizer and elevator which looked relatively minor, but the stabilizer saw a significant load from the impact with the landing gear. The inboard third of the right stabilizer upper skin was buckled in several places, indicating internal damage, which would adversely affect the structural strength of the stabilizer and require a major repair. Therefore, this is considered substantial damage.
Right landing gear parts, to include lower shock absorber assembly, wheel and brake assembly were retrieved from kgvt runway. Examination of parts revealed the right upper torque knee fractured at both lugs where attached to the upper shock pin, and at the lower lug where attached to lower knee bushing.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A ROUTINE TRAINING FLIGHT, TOUCH AND GO OPERATIONS, AT GREENVILLE TX, KGVT, UPON TAKE-OFF ROTATION, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW, BEING ALERTED TO THIS BUT NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, CONTINUED FLIGHT TO ADDISON TX, KADS. THE CREW WAS ABLE TO CONFIRM WITH THE TOWER AT ADDISON AND AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA THAT THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS MISSING WITH ONLY THE STRUT TUBE ATTACHED. THE CREW ELECTED TO ATTEMPT TO LAND AT ALLIANCE TX, KAFW. AFTER BURNING OFF FUEL, THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY AT ALLIANCE ON THE LEFT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT HAND UPPER SHOCK ABSORBER HOUSING.
THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF IMPACT FROM THE RIGHT TIRE TO THE LOWER HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR WHICH LOOKED RELATIVELY MINOR, BUT THE STABILIZER SAW A SIGNIFICANT LOAD FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE LANDING GEAR. THE INBOARD THIRD OF THE RIGHT STABILIZER UPPER SKIN WAS BUCKLED IN SEVERAL PLACES, INDICATING INTERNAL DAMAGE, WHICH WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH OF THE STABILIZER AND REQUIRE A MAJOR REPAIR. THEREFORE, THIS IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
RIGHT LANDING GEAR PARTS, TO INCLUDE LOWER SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY, WHEEL AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY WERE RETRIEVED FROM KGVT RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF PARTS REVEALED THE RIGHT UPPER TORQUE KNEE FRACTURED AT BOTH LUGS WHERE ATTACHED TO THE UPPER SHOCK PIN, AND AT THE LOWER LUG WHERE ATTACHED TO LOWER KNEE BUSHING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.