What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 06/29/2019 at about 1855 local time, a 1974 Piper PA-28R-200 cherokee arrow ii, registration N786N, s/n 28R-7435095, suffered a landing gear collapse during landing on runway 22 at Chandler municipal airport (chd), Chandler, AZ. The aircraft was substantially damaged by contact with the ground and airport lights.
The pilot reported he was seated in the right seat at the time of the accident. He also indicated he had a passenger seated in the left front seat. Neither occupant was injured as the result of the accident.
The reported weather conditions at the time and location of the accident were winds from heading 260 at 12 knots gusting to 22 knots, 10 mile visibility, temperature of 105.8°f, dew point 39.2°f, and altimeter setting of 29.78.
Inspection of the aircraft on 07/09/2019 revealed the following damage caused by the accident:
Left lower wing tip damaged due to contact with the ground, following the gear collapse. All scratches on the wing tip were going in a span-wise direction from the wing tip toward the fuselage, indicating that the motion of the aircraft at the time of contact was from right to left. The pitot probe was sheared from the bottom of the left wing and was held in place by wires and hoses. The left hand aileron and flap also received minor dents.
The left main landing gear mechanism appeared to be in the down and locked position at the moment of collapse. The side strut and supporting structure were bent from the side load placed upon the left main landing gear wheel and tire. The mounting structure for the side strut was sheared from the forward wing spar. The wing rib inboard of the side strut was also bent.
The left hand stabilator leading edge severely dented. It is assumed the dent was caused by contact with a runway light, based on the size, shape and yellow paint transfer. Another large dent was located on the left side of the empennage above the left stabilator, believed to be caused by the runway light.
Review of the aircraft maintenance records, indicate the aircraft was properly maintained, all required inspections were complied with at required intervals. It was noted, in the records that both main landing gear were inspected and both downlock springs and micro-switches were replaced at the annual inspection in January, 2019. Inspection found no issue with workmanship related to the work accomplished and do not find that this work, to be a contributing factor.
As the FAA filed it
ON 06/29/2019 AT ABOUT 1855 LOCAL TIME, A 1974 PIPER PA-28R-200 CHEROKEE ARROW II, REGISTRATION N786N, S/N 28R-7435095, SUFFERED A LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 22 AT CHANDLER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CHD), CHANDLER, AZ. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AND AIRPORT LIGHTS.
THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO INDICATED HE HAD A PASSENGER SEATED IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. NEITHER OCCUPANT WAS INJURED AS THE RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE REPORTED WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME AND LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT WERE WINDS FROM HEADING 260 AT 12 KNOTS GUSTING TO 22 KNOTS, 10 MILE VISIBILITY, TEMPERATURE OF 105.8°F, DEW POINT 39.2°F, AND ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.78.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON 07/09/2019 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE ACCIDENT:
LEFT LOWER WING TIP DAMAGED DUE TO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, FOLLOWING THE GEAR COLLAPSE. ALL SCRATCHES ON THE WING TIP WERE GOING IN A SPAN-WISE DIRECTION FROM THE WING TIP TOWARD THE FUSELAGE, INDICATING THAT THE MOTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF CONTACT WAS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. THE PITOT PROBE WAS SHEARED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT WING AND WAS HELD IN PLACE BY WIRES AND HOSES. THE LEFT HAND AILERON AND FLAP ALSO RECEIVED MINOR DENTS.
THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MECHANISM APPEARED TO BE IN THE DOWN AND LOCKED POSITION AT THE MOMENT OF COLLAPSE. THE SIDE STRUT AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE WERE BENT FROM THE SIDE LOAD PLACED UPON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL AND TIRE. THE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR THE SIDE STRUT WAS SHEARED FROM THE FORWARD WING SPAR. THE WING RIB INBOARD OF THE SIDE STRUT WAS ALSO BENT.
THE LEFT HAND STABILATOR LEADING EDGE SEVERELY DENTED. IT IS ASSUMED THE DENT WAS CAUSED BY CONTACT WITH A RUNWAY LIGHT, BASED ON THE SIZE, SHAPE AND YELLOW PAINT TRANSFER. ANOTHER LARGE DENT WAS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE EMPENNAGE ABOVE THE LEFT STABILATOR, BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY THE RUNWAY LIGHT.
REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS, INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED, ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLIED WITH AT REQUIRED INTERVALS. IT WAS NOTED, IN THE RECORDS THAT BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE INSPECTED AND BOTH DOWNLOCK SPRINGS AND MICRO-SWITCHES WERE REPLACED AT THE ANNUAL INSPECTION IN JANUARY, 2019. INSPECTION FOUND NO ISSUE WITH WORKMANSHIP RELATED TO THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED AND DO NOT FIND THAT THIS WORK, TO BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.