What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The des moines FSDO was notified of an aircraft accident in Pocahontas, IA on September 6, 2019, by the regional operations center. The aircraft was substantially damaged on landing after the left gear collapsed while landing on runway 30 in Pocahontas, IA (POH). The aircraft came to rest approximately half the way down the runway on the north side of the runway with half of the aircraft on the grass and the other half on the runway. Aircraft damage includes left main gear, left-wing, engine, and propeller. No injuries to pilot or passenger.
This accident occurred after the pilot departed bismarck, ND (bis) at approximately 0900 local and landed at Pocahontas, IA (POH) airport for a fuel stop. Flight was conducted under visual flight rules. Pilot indicated that Pocahontas did not have ATIS or AWOS so he checked weather at other nearby airports and determined that landing on runway 30 was appropriate. Wind was out of the north as verified by the windsock. Pilot reported that the aircraft touched down normally then he felt a shift to the left. The left main landing gear then collapsed sending the aircraft off the runway. Passenger and pilot exited without injury.
Weather at fort dodge as follows: 061656Z auto 35007KTS 10SM clr 22/16 A3016 rmk A02
Inspection of the landing gear by a maintenance inspector revealed that the left main gear was broken and separated from the aircraft at the fuselage. Damage was noted to the outboard side of the wheel rim. The wheel rim appears to have contacted the runway.
It is the opinion of the maintenance inspector that the gear spring strut may have had an undetected crack forming at the point of structural failure. Additionally, it appears the gear suffered a side load (in opposite direction of normal landing) due to the fact the outboard wheel rim half suffered damage.
As the FAA filed it
THE DES MOINES FSDO WAS NOTIFIED OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT IN POCAHONTAS, IA ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2019, BY THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED ON LANDING AFTER THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 30 IN POCAHONTAS, IA (POH). THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY HALF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH HALF OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GRASS AND THE OTHER HALF ON THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE INCLUDES LEFT MAIN GEAR, LEFT-WING, ENGINE, AND PROPELLER. NO INJURIES TO PILOT OR PASSENGER.
THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE PILOT DEPARTED BISMARCK, ND (BIS) AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 LOCAL AND LANDED AT POCAHONTAS, IA (POH) AIRPORT FOR A FUEL STOP. FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. PILOT INDICATED THAT POCAHONTAS DID NOT HAVE ATIS OR AWOS SO HE CHECKED WEATHER AT OTHER NEARBY AIRPORTS AND DETERMINED THAT LANDING ON RUNWAY 30 WAS APPROPRIATE. WIND WAS OUT OF THE NORTH AS VERIFIED BY THE WINDSOCK. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY THEN HE FELT A SHIFT TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR THEN COLLAPSED SENDING THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RUNWAY. PASSENGER AND PILOT EXITED WITHOUT INJURY.
WEATHER AT FORT DODGE AS FOLLOWS: 061656Z AUTO 35007KTS 10SM CLR 22/16 A3016 RMK A02
INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR BY A MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AT THE FUSELAGE. DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE WHEEL RIM. THE WHEEL RIM APPEARS TO HAVE CONTACTED THE RUNWAY.
IT IS THE OPINION OF THE MAINTENANCE INSPECTOR THAT THE GEAR SPRING STRUT MAY HAVE HAD AN UNDETECTED CRACK FORMING AT THE POINT OF STRUCTURAL FAILURE. ADDITIONALLY, IT APPEARS THE GEAR SUFFERED A SIDE LOAD (IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF NORMAL LANDING) DUE TO THE FACT THE OUTBOARD WHEEL RIM HALF SUFFERED DAMAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.