What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident pilot stated he was operating the aircraft from a frozen lake near his cabin located a few miles west of Skwentna, AK on March 7th, 2025. The area used for takeoff and landing was covered with three feet of snow on top of firm ice that had been previously groomed by snowmobile. At approximately 2400 local time the pilot taxied to the south end of the strip. Once at the south end, he taxied off of the groomed area to turn around for takeoff. While making a left turn back to the strip, the right landing gear leg collapsed. The pilot shut down the engine and he, along with two passengers exited the aircraft. Inspection revealed structural damage to the lower fuselage in the area of the right-hand landing gear attachment and forward right-hand door pillar. The propeller was damaged by contact with the ground. A third party assisting with the recovery of the aircraft from the accident site found an elastic stop nut beneath the floor of the cabin near the right-hand landing gear attach point. The bold that attaches the gear leg to the fuselage structure was photographed remaining attached to the gear leg. Inspection of the nut and bold indicated severe wear and damaged threads on both components. The bold thread ridges are flattened and show striations consistent with cross threading damage. A search of the Cessna illustrated parts catalog shows the nut and bolt from the accident aircraft are not those specified for the landing gear attachment application. Inspection of the identical assembly on the left-hand landing gear attachment found the bolt to be of the proper size and type; however, the nut securing the bolt in gear leg was an elastic stop nut that is not of the type specified in the parts catalog. Length of time the condition existed is unknown. privacy data omitted Advised of findings.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT PILOT STATED HE WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT FROM A FROZEN LAKE NEAR HIS CABIN LOCATED A FEW MILES WEST OF SKWENTNA, AK ON MARCH 7TH, 2025. THE AREA USED FOR TAKEOFF AND LANDING WAS COVERED WITH THREE FEET OF SNOW ON TOP OF FIRM ICE THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY GROOMED BY SNOWMOBILE. AT APPROXIMATELY 2400 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT TAXIED TO THE SOUTH END OF THE STRIP. ONCE AT THE SOUTH END, HE TAXIED OFF OF THE GROOMED AREA TO TURN AROUND FOR TAKEOFF. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE STRIP, THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR LEG COLLAPSED. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND HE, ALONG WITH TWO PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE IN THE AREA OF THE RIGHT-HAND LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT AND FORWARD RIGHT-HAND DOOR PILLAR. THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. A THIRD PARTY ASSISTING WITH THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE FOUND AN ELASTIC STOP NUT BENEATH THE FLOOR OF THE CABIN NEAR THE RIGHT-HAND LANDING GEAR ATTACH POINT. THE BOLD THAT ATTACHES THE GEAR LEG TO THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE WAS PHOTOGRAPHED REMAINING ATTACHED TO THE GEAR LEG. INSPECTION OF THE NUT AND BOLD INDICATED SEVERE WEAR AND DAMAGED THREADS ON BOTH COMPONENTS. THE BOLD THREAD RIDGES ARE FLATTENED AND SHOW STRIATIONS CONSISTENT WITH CROSS THREADING DAMAGE. A SEARCH OF THE CESSNA ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG SHOWS THE NUT AND BOLT FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT ARE NOT THOSE SPECIFIED FOR THE LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT APPLICATION. INSPECTION OF THE IDENTICAL ASSEMBLY ON THE LEFT-HAND LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT FOUND THE BOLT TO BE OF THE PROPER SIZE AND TYPE; HOWEVER, THE NUT SECURING THE BOLT IN GEAR LEG WAS AN ELASTIC STOP NUT THAT IS NOT OF THE TYPE SPECIFIED IN THE PARTS CATALOG. LENGTH OF TIME THE CONDITION EXISTED IS UNKNOWN. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ADVISED OF FINDINGS.
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 N1718R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.