- Date
- July 24, 2011, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- McCarthy, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N85194Aeronca 7AC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Airworthiness
- FAA report
- 20110724017459A
- Case key
- 81393
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The separation of the right main landing gear oleo strut assembly, resulting in the collapse of the main landing gear during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the tundra-tire-equipped airplane reported that, while departing from a remote gravel bar, he heard a "clunk" just after takeoff. While en route to his destination airport, he noticed that the right main landing gear assembly had partially separated from the airplane. During the subsequent landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot's postaccident inspection revealed a separated oleo shock absorber strut. He noted that, other than the separated main landing gear oleo strut, there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tundra tire-equipped airplane reported that while departing from a remote gravel bar, he heard a "clunk" just after takeoff. While en route to his destination airport, he noticed that the right main landing gear assembly had partially separated from the airplane. During the subsequent landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot's postaccident inspection revealed a separated oleo shock absorber strut. He noted that other than the separated main landing gear oleo strut, there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85194
- Reported as
- Aeronca 7AC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-3927
- Airframe hours
- 2,074
- Engine
- Cont Motor C-90 SERIES, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gray Benjamin L
- Registered owner
- Gray Benjamin L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 12, 2011 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- McCarthy, AK
- Destination
- 15Z · McCarthy, AK
- Airport
- 15Z · McCarthy, runway 36, 3,500 × 60 ft, gravel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 800 in this make and model · 3,400 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 66 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 581 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.