# Incident 20230426005399I: Scales Lowell D LANCAIR 320, El Paso, TX, April 26, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 26, 2023, 23:06 local time
- Place: El Paso, TX
- Airport: El Paso International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Taxi
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.8073° N, 106.3764° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EL PASO INTL (ELP), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8073&lon=-106.3764&mi=10
- Aircraft: N91LS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N91LS) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Scales Lowell D LANCAIR 320 (registry code 0561849, https://openairdocs.org/model/scales-lowell-d-lancair-320) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SCALES LOWELL D LANCAIR 320
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230426005399I

## Narrative

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

ON APRIL 26, 2023, AT 2306L MST, A LANCAIR 320, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT DEPARTED LUBBOCK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLBB) FOR EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KELP) ON A DIRECT FLIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 8R AND WAS GIVEN THE INSTRUCTION TO TAXI TO THE T-HANGARS VIA LIMA, GOLF.  WHILE TAXING ON LIMA, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED.  THIS FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 91 FOR PERSONAL PURPOSES AND VFR IN VMC.  THE PILOT DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE.  THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT AND HE WAS UNINJURED IN THIS INCIDENT.

THE PIC STATED THAT THE LANDING WAS NORMAL AND SMOOTH AND THAT HE MADE TWO TURNS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. THE FIRST TURN WAS A RIGHT TO EXIT THE RWY AND THEN A SECOND RIGHT ON TWY L. ONCE ON THE TWY, HE DESCRIBED WHAT HE FELT AS “WOBBLE, WOBBLE AND BOOM, THE RIGHT GEAR COLLAPSED.” PRIOR TO THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSE, HE EXPLAINED THAT THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS, AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS STEERING AND PERFORMING CORRECTLY. UPON JACKING THE AIRCRAFT TO PLACE THE AFFECTED LANDING GEAR ON A DOLLY FOR TOWING, THE ROD END FOR THE OVER CENTER LINK WAS DISCOVERED BROKEN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND RIGHT WING SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY AND THERE WAS NO PROPELLER STRIKE.  THE AIRCRAFT MECHANIC WAS INTERVIEWED, CONFIRMING THE PART FAILURE.  HE DISCOVERED A SLIGHT BEND IN THE ROD END AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO SIDE LOADING ON THE LANDING GEAR.  THE MECHANIC WAS ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HIS FINDINGS TO LANCAIR.  IT IS THE IIC’S OPINION THAT THIS SIDE STRESS ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST WAS THE ROOT CAUSE FOR THE COMPONENT FAILURE LEADING TO THIS INCIDENT.

## Other reports on N91LS (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20180813024679I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180813024679I), Aug 13, 2018: Scales Lowell D LANCAIR 320 (N91LS), Burlington, VT, Minor damage. On August 13th N91LS departed kbtv with[privacy data omitted] (pilot) and [privacy data omitted] (passenger) for basin harbor (B06). The wind was out of the…

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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