ANC17LA042

According to the private pilot, while landing at a remote, unimproved airstrip, the right main landing (MLG) tire impacted a rock. The airplane then began to veer right, and the MLG collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage and horizontal stabilizer. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right MLG separated near its attachment point. Visual and magnified optical examinations of the fractured surfaces revealed features consistent with a bending overstress fracture. Due to the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain to land, the right main tire impacted a rock, which resulted in the subsequent loss of directional control and collapse of the right MLG.

On August 4, 2017, about 1900 Alaska daylight time, a tricycle gear equipped Beech BE19 airplane, N6523T, sustained substantial damage while landing at a remote unimproved airstrip, about 25 miles southeast of Palmer, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 visual flight rules flight. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Merrill Field Airport (PAMR), Anchorage, Alaska at about 1745. According to the pilot, while landing at a remote unimproved airstrip, the right main tire impacted a rock. The airplane began to veer to the right, and the right main gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage and horizontal stabilizer. A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Senior Metallurgist reported that visual and magnified optical examination of the fractured surfaces revealed features consistent with a bending overstress separation. No indications of preexisting fatigue, corrosion or significant porosity were detected. (A synopsis of the NTSB Metallurgist's case review is included in the public docket for this accident.) In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been avoided if the Federal Aviation Administration or Alaska Department of Transportation would have provided minimal funding to local pilot groups to provide minimal maintenance of routinely used backcountry airstrips.