What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 7, 2025, at the Millard Municipal Airport (mle) in Omaha, Nebraska, a flight instructor was administering flight instruction to a student pilot in a Piper pa 28-180. Prior to the flight, the student pilot performed a preflight and walkaround with the flight instructor. Besides a bald spot on the right main tire, there were no other irregularities noted on the walkaround. The crew started the engine, performed a brake check and a few other system checks during taxi, then an engine run up. No issues were noted during their ground checks and the takeoff was normal. The student pilot was in the left seat flying the aircraft and the flight instructor was in the right seat. The student flew the aircraft around the pattern once, then performed a landing back in mle. With some flare, the aircraft touched down on the main landing gear first. The student pilot and flight instructor stated that the flight was normal up to that point. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft pulled to the left. This is when the flight instructor took over the controls and applied right rudder and braking action as they rolled down the runway. The crew initially thought they may have had a flat tire. The aircraft came to a stop on the runway and the crew powered the aircraft down. When they exited the aircraft, they saw the left main landing gear separated from the wing, on the ground, attached only by the brake line. No injuries were reported. Damage to the aircraft was isolated to the area of the left main landing gear.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 7, 2025, AT THE MILLARD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MLE) IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS ADMINISTERING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PILOT IN A PIPER PA 28-180. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, THE STUDENT PILOT PERFORMED A PREFLIGHT AND WALKAROUND WITH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. BESIDES A BALD SPOT ON THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE, THERE WERE NO OTHER IRREGULARITIES NOTED ON THE WALKAROUND. THE CREW STARTED THE ENGINE, PERFORMED A BRAKE CHECK AND A FEW OTHER SYSTEM CHECKS DURING TAXI, THEN AN ENGINE RUN UP. NO ISSUES WERE NOTED DURING THEIR GROUND CHECKS AND THE TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. THE STUDENT FLEW THE AIRCRAFT AROUND THE PATTERN ONCE, THEN PERFORMED A LANDING BACK IN MLE. WITH SOME FLARE, THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR FIRST. THE STUDENT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UP TO THAT POINT. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRCRAFT PULLED TO THE LEFT. THIS IS WHEN THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AND APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKING ACTION AS THEY ROLLED DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE CREW INITIALLY THOUGHT THEY MAY HAVE HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY AND THE CREW POWERED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. WHEN THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, THEY SAW THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE WING, ON THE GROUND, ATTACHED ONLY BY THE BRAKE LINE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS ISOLATED TO THE AREA OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.