What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This aircraft was purchased on July 6th 2024.
The pilots were doing multiple t/o and landings, staying in the pattern. They came in and did a touch and go. The pilot rotated early, the aircraft settled back to the runway and the aircraft lost the left tire. The takeoff was continued. They returned for a landing with only the gear support and brake caliper assemble. Axle and tire were missing. Aircraft landed without incident. Photos show damage to the horizontal stabilizer leading edge and attachment point on the fuselage. This was caused by the tire hitting it. The axle actually broke. The axle is made of aluminum it may have been broken part way thru prior.
Log book research was completed. The fact that the left tire was warn in what appeared to be toe out made the left landing gear in suspect. It was check and removed from the aircraft. The landing gear leg would move left and right 1/8 inch and forward and back 3/8 of a inch, along with the ability to turn a few degrees. The left landing gear leg was removed, and it was determined the bolts that held it in were not the correct size. The length of the shoulder was too short and the bolt itself was the wrong diameter. This created a large amount of play or movement in the leg. The holes were drilled after the gear cradle was installed instead of before the gear was installed on the aircraft. This created two incorrectly drilled holes at incorrect angles. The gear was also installed in a toe out angle that cause excessive wear on the left tire and also wear on the right. This toe out and poor installation caused a shimmy and also increases the angular load on the axle increased drag and tire wear. These forces over time started a crack in the axle and eventually lead to the failure of the axle and the primary cause of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PURCHASED ON JULY 6TH 2024.
THE PILOTS WERE DOING MULTIPLE T/O AND LANDINGS, STAYING IN THE PATTERN. THEY CAME IN AND DID A TOUCH AND GO. THE PILOT ROTATED EARLY, THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK TO THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT LOST THE LEFT TIRE. THE TAKEOFF WAS CONTINUED. THEY RETURNED FOR A LANDING WITH ONLY THE GEAR SUPPORT AND BRAKE CALIPER ASSEMBLE. AXLE AND TIRE WERE MISSING. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PHOTOS SHOW DAMAGE TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE AND ATTACHMENT POINT ON THE FUSELAGE. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE TIRE HITTING IT. THE AXLE ACTUALLY BROKE. THE AXLE IS MADE OF ALUMINUM IT MAY HAVE BEEN BROKEN PART WAY THRU PRIOR.
LOG BOOK RESEARCH WAS COMPLETED. THE FACT THAT THE LEFT TIRE WAS WARN IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE TOE OUT MADE THE LEFT LANDING GEAR IN SUSPECT. IT WAS CHECK AND REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LANDING GEAR LEG WOULD MOVE LEFT AND RIGHT 1/8 INCH AND FORWARD AND BACK 3/8 OF A INCH, ALONG WITH THE ABILITY TO TURN A FEW DEGREES. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR LEG WAS REMOVED, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE BOLTS THAT HELD IT IN WERE NOT THE CORRECT SIZE. THE LENGTH OF THE SHOULDER WAS TOO SHORT AND THE BOLT ITSELF WAS THE WRONG DIAMETER. THIS CREATED A LARGE AMOUNT OF PLAY OR MOVEMENT IN THE LEG. THE HOLES WERE DRILLED AFTER THE GEAR CRADLE WAS INSTALLED INSTEAD OF BEFORE THE GEAR WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THIS CREATED TWO INCORRECTLY DRILLED HOLES AT INCORRECT ANGLES. THE GEAR WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN A TOE OUT ANGLE THAT CAUSE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE LEFT TIRE AND ALSO WEAR ON THE RIGHT. THIS TOE OUT AND POOR INSTALLATION CAUSED A SHIMMY AND ALSO INCREASES THE ANGULAR LOAD ON THE AXLE INCREASED DRAG AND TIRE WEAR. THESE FORCES OVER TIME STARTED A CRACK IN THE AXLE AND EVENTUALLY LEAD TO THE FAILURE OF THE AXLE AND THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.