What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N34890 was en-route from southern California to Washington state. The aircraft had last taken off from weed, CA (O46) and was preparing to land at grant Pass airport (3S8) at Grants Pass, OR.
The pilot stated that he was un-familiar with the airport and flew over it to observe the runway and winds. The pilot observed the wind sock indicating an 8-10 knot right hand crosswind. Then the pilot then made an approach for runway 31. Initial contact with the runway resulted in a bounce of the aircraft and then the pilot was able to land the aircraft after another bounce. On rollout the pilot noticed that the crosswind had changed to a left hand cross wind with the wind sock fully extended. As the pilot made the turn for the first turn out he stated that he thought he was fighting the crosswind as he made the turn. The pilot then noticed the left hand wing was down and the left hand landing gear was extended forward of the wing at an angle, not perpendicular to the wing as it should be. The aircraft was able to taxi off of the runway and was able to get help from someone at the airport to assist them in getting the aircraft moved off of the taxi way and secured on the ramp.
Pictures received by this office show a broken fitting where the bolt securing an inner shaft of the left hand landing gear assembly to the fitting was pulled out tearing the metal of the fitting with the bolt. That allowed the landing gear to move forward from its perpendicular position when extended.
As the FAA filed it
N34890 WAS EN-ROUTE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO WASHINGTON STATE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD LAST TAKEN OFF FROM WEED, CA (O46) AND WAS PREPARING TO LAND AT GRANT PASS AIRPORT (3S8) AT GRANTS PASS, OR.
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UN-FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT AND FLEW OVER IT TO OBSERVE THE RUNWAY AND WINDS. THE PILOT OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK INDICATING AN 8-10 KNOT RIGHT HAND CROSSWIND. THEN THE PILOT THEN MADE AN APPROACH FOR RUNWAY 31. INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY RESULTED IN A BOUNCE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT AFTER ANOTHER BOUNCE. ON ROLLOUT THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE CROSSWIND HAD CHANGED TO A LEFT HAND CROSS WIND WITH THE WIND SOCK FULLY EXTENDED. AS THE PILOT MADE THE TURN FOR THE FIRST TURN OUT HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS FIGHTING THE CROSSWIND AS HE MADE THE TURN. THE PILOT THEN NOTICED THE LEFT HAND WING WAS DOWN AND THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED FORWARD OF THE WING AT AN ANGLE, NOT PERPENDICULAR TO THE WING AS IT SHOULD BE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO TAXI OFF OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS ABLE TO GET HELP FROM SOMEONE AT THE AIRPORT TO ASSIST THEM IN GETTING THE AIRCRAFT MOVED OFF OF THE TAXI WAY AND SECURED ON THE RAMP.
PICTURES RECEIVED BY THIS OFFICE SHOW A BROKEN FITTING WHERE THE BOLT SECURING AN INNER SHAFT OF THE LEFT HAND LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY TO THE FITTING WAS PULLED OUT TEARING THE METAL OF THE FITTING WITH THE BOLT. THAT ALLOWED THE LANDING GEAR TO MOVE FORWARD FROM ITS PERPENDICULAR POSITION WHEN EXTENDED.
Other reports on N34890 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.