What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was performing touch and goes. When aircraft landed, the RH main landing gear leg separated from the fuselage. Upon disconnection of RH main landing gear, the RH wing and propeller struck the runway. When the aircraft ground looped, the separated landing gear leg punctured the LH fuselage and fractured the pilot step. Inspection report- the main landing gear leg is attached to the airframe with a single bolt and has a secondary securing point by means of a metal strap about 6” lower/outboard from the primary attach hardware. The main securing bolt was stretched and sheared from stress. I believe this occurred due to the secondary securing strap not being in its intended configuration. The forward bolt securing the strap to the airframe had no nut installed. Furthermore, the bolt threads were intact and there was still residue in the threads from the self-locking nylon from the nut. I believe the nut had backed off or was stripped off prior (time frame unknown) due to over torquing, under torquing, or improper hardware installed. This prevented the strap from applying its intended force to the leg and transferred all the landing forces directly to the leg securing hardware.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GOES. WHEN AIRCRAFT LANDED, THE RH MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. UPON DISCONNECTION OF RH MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE RH WING AND PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT GROUND LOOPED, THE SEPARATED LANDING GEAR LEG PUNCTURED THE LH FUSELAGE AND FRACTURED THE PILOT STEP. INSPECTION REPORT- THE MAIN LANDING GEAR LEG IS ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME WITH A SINGLE BOLT AND HAS A SECONDARY SECURING POINT BY MEANS OF A METAL STRAP ABOUT 6” LOWER/OUTBOARD FROM THE PRIMARY ATTACH HARDWARE. THE MAIN SECURING BOLT WAS STRETCHED AND SHEARED FROM STRESS. I BELIEVE THIS OCCURRED DUE TO THE SECONDARY SECURING STRAP NOT BEING IN ITS INTENDED CONFIGURATION. THE FORWARD BOLT SECURING THE STRAP TO THE AIRFRAME HAD NO NUT INSTALLED. FURTHERMORE, THE BOLT THREADS WERE INTACT AND THERE WAS STILL RESIDUE IN THE THREADS FROM THE SELF-LOCKING NYLON FROM THE NUT. I BELIEVE THE NUT HAD BACKED OFF OR WAS STRIPPED OFF PRIOR (TIME FRAME UNKNOWN) DUE TO OVER TORQUING, UNDER TORQUING, OR IMPROPER HARDWARE INSTALLED. THIS PREVENTED THE STRAP FROM APPLYING ITS INTENDED FORCE TO THE LEG AND TRANSFERRED ALL THE LANDING FORCES DIRECTLY TO THE LEG SECURING HARDWARE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N72WJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.