- Date
- May 20, 2001, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Brooksville, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3042CPiper PA-44-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Tampa FSDO
- Case key
- 52440
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 fatigue failure of the left main landing gear strut that resulted in collapse of the landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the takeoff roll the pilot noticed the aircraft pulling to the left. He aborted takeoff, reduced power and as the pilot applied brakes the left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the gear strut cylinder revealed fatigue cracks originating from multiple locations on opposite sides of the bolt hole located on the forward side of the cylinder. Microscopic examination of the bolt hole revealed that the surface of the bolt hole was roughly machined. The total fatigue region occupied about 35 percent of the cross section of the cylinder.
Factual narrative
On May 20, 2001, at 1045 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N3042C, experienced a collapse of the left main landing gear during takeoff roll in Brooksville, Florida. The personal flight was conducted under provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage; the commercial pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight was departing from Hernando County Airport, Brooksville, Florida, at 1045.
According to the pilot, while on takeoff roll from runway 27, the airplane pulled noticeably to the left. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and reduced power and applied the brakes. The left main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the landing gear revealed the left main landing gear strut assembly cylinder was broken. The break occurred at the point where the gear strut cylinder is bolted into the fork assembly.
Laboratory examination of the gear strut cylinder revealed fatigue cracks originating from multiple locations on opposite sides of the bolt hole located on the forward side of the cylinder. Microscopic examination of the bolt hole revealed that the surface of the bolt hole was roughly machined. Further examination of the fracture surface showed multiple ratch and crack arrest marks. The total fatigue region occupied about 35 percent of the cross section of the cylinder.
According to the operator, there is no previous history of maintenance problems on the left landing gear strut.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3042C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-7995-124
- Airframe hours
- 12,000
- Engine
- Lycoming L-0-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clearwater Aviation
- Registered owner
- Four fox air inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 28, 2001 · 52 hours before
- Departed
- BKV · Brooksville, FL
- Destination
- PIE · St. Petersburg, FL
- Airport
- BKV · Hernando County, runway 27, 7,001 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,096 total · 7 in this make and model · 830 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- BKV