# Incident 20260127000719I: Piper PA-28-161, Van Nuys, CA, January 27, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 27, 2026, 13:35 local time
- Place: Van Nuys, CA
- Airport: Van Nuys
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.2098° N, 118.4900° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VAN NUYS (VNY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2098&lon=-118.4900&mi=10
- Aircraft: N51467, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N51467) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 74 total, 73 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260127000719I

## Narrative

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

THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEPARTING VNY, RUNWAY 34L, AFTER ROTATION THE RH MLG PISTON AND AXLE ASSEMBLY FELL OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE RH MLG SCISSORS UPPER LINK ATTACH POINT FAILED WHEN THE PISTON EXTENDED. THE PISTON INTERNAL RETAINER RING ALSO FAILED, ALLOWING THE PISTON AND AXLE ASSEMBLY TO BE EJECTED FROM THE LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY.  AIRPORT OPERATIONS RECOVERED THE LDG FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CIRCLED WEST OF THE AIRPORT AND RETURNED FOR A LANDING ON 34L COMING TO A STOP MIDWAY DOWN THE RUNWAY.

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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